Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, NY

Captain's Log, 7.1.08
“Destination Red Hook” -- A Marketing Plan, funded by the NY Community Trust, Seedco Financial and J.P. Morgan Chase and developed by consultants Marge Lovero, It’s Strictly Business and Michelle Levengood, Unique View Tourism Consultants has resulted in a fully-booked summer of camp groups and tour groups, increased attendance during our expanded open hours, and new ideas which will be implemented over the coming months.

Captain's Log, 7.1.08 “Destination Red Hook” -- A Marketing Plan, funded by the NY Community Trust, Seedco Financial and J.P. Morgan Chase and developed by consultants Marge Lovero, It’s Strictly Business and Michelle Levengood, Unique View Tourism Consultants has resulted in a fully-booked summer of camp groups and tour groups, increased attendance during our expanded open hours, and new ideas which will be implemented over the coming months.
		Additional tourism consultations have involved Jennifer Ackerson of ALON Consulting. Thanks go to interns Natasha Biggert, Jennifer Moon and Dimitrios Meleounis for their help in developing informative flyers, contacting schools and camps, updating the data base, and media outreach. Special thanks to Red Hook’s Janet Carlson and One-Eleven Interactive for creating our first e-mail blasts.
On June 4, the Brooklyn Cultural Circuit, a joint marketing project of eight small “off the beaten path” Brooklyn entities, launched their “Brooklyn Treasure Map” aboard Barge # 79. Members of the media and PS 15 students enjoyed the hands-on displays and presentations from all BCC members. Thanks to Seedco Financial, Con Edison, the Brooklyn Tourism Center and the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
		June brought 5 weekends of marvelous CIRCUSundays performances entertained over 2,500 under the artistic direction of Karen E. Gersch. Fox 5 did a live broadcast from Barge #79 and The New Yorker featured an illustration of the showboat. The Museum’s Documentary Series treated close to 300 to films about current waterfront issues, the changing face of New York shoreline, the Clearwater Sloop, and PS 10’s terrific student i-movie. The Brave New World Repertory Theatre performed a Moliere staged reading for 70 people and will collaborate with the Waterfront Museum next May to present a staged reading of “On the Waterfront” with participation from author Budd Schulberg.
A very touching moment came at the top of one CIRCUSunday show when I had to opportunity to present Captain Richard Forster with a model of Barge #79 built by Baltimore Fire Chief Garry Pace to honor his many contributions to the Waterfront Museum and the Tugboat industry. During the Museum’s early years, Captain Forster and Captain Pamela Hepburn towed the Barge to Hoboken, Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Piermont, South Street Seaport, and Edgewater. Working with funds from the Hudson River Improvement Fund, shipwrights Ian Montgomery, Adrian Owen, Mitch Sickon and Nicholas have completed the portside planking, stern deck and even completed the first of four corners which will sport the original iron corners taken off Barge #79 back in the late 1980’s. I never thought it would take me over 20 years to get them back on! Participation in the 2009 Hudson Fulton Champlain Celebration is moving forward nicely. Working with Captain Pamela Hepburn and the Tugboat Pegasus, the Museum plans to visit town docks in Hoboken, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Yonkers, Bear Mountain, Piermont, Kingston and Waterford during the upcoming year.