WHEN:

September 8, 2019: 4:00PM to 8:00PM

WHERE:

Hudson River Maritime Museum

TO ATTEND:

Tickets

As part of its 2019 Pilot Gala, the Hudson River Maritime Museum will honor John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper Patrol Boat Captain and Vice President of Advocacy, with the annual Roger W. Mabie Award. The award is named after the museum’s founder and former president Roger Mabie, recognizing individuals who exemplify service to the Hudson
Valley and its history.

Enjoy cocktails along the historic Rondout Waterfront and an elegant buffet at sunset. Live and silent auctions benefit the museum’s education programs.

John Lipscomb became Riverkeeper’s boat captain in 2000. Having grown up in Irvington and Tarrytown, he learned to swim and sail in the Hudson River. In the early 1970’s, he apprenticed for “old time” WWII-era boat builders to learn wooden boat maintenance and repair at Petersen’s Boatyard in Nyack. In September of 2000, John began patrolling the Hudson for Riverkeeper aboard the “R. Ian Fletcher”, a 36-foot Chesapeake Bay style wooden vessel. He travels between New York Harbor and Troy, and on the Mohawk River, searching out and deterring polluters, monitoring tributaries and waterfront facilities, and taking regional decision makers and media out on the river so that “the river has a chance to advocate for itself.”

Photo courtesy Giles Ashford/ashford7@yahoo.com

A modern journey upriver begins with the churn of ferry boats, the cry of gulls circling garbage barges and the roar of traffic. Millions of New Yorkers have discovered the pleasures of the harbor; now we all share the responsibility of restoring its natural abundance.

Riverkeeper leads the battle to rescue Newtown Creek, a near-dead waterway on the border between Brooklyn and Queens. Contaminated by a colossal 17 million gallon oil spill and on-going illegal pollution, the creek was neglected for years. Residents of the area have some of the highest rates of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema in the city. Riverkeeper’s efforts have brought the matter not only into the courts, but to the attention of the government, which owes its citizens the basic right of clean air and water.”

Photo courtesy The Gaia Institute

The marshes and forests that used to grow throughout the New York City region have long since been replaced by skyscrapers, loading docks, and parking lots. One result is that even medium-sized rains overwhelm the city’s antiquated sewage systems and cause polluting run-offs. By “green”planting on street corners and rooftops, we can capture excess stormwater and significantly reduce the amount of raw sewage now being diverted into New York Harbor.