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19 July 2012

Teahupoo's Summer Party

via Magic Seaweed (http://magicseaweed.com/)
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/45988016 w=400&h=300]

11 July 2012

The Merivale

Oceans of Trash Infographic

Ocean of Garbage
Created by: MastersDegree.net

THESIS - PROPOSAL SUBMITTED

And so it begins - the last hurdle between me and graduating - a Thesis project! The first step is complete, the ever important Thesis Proposal. This is the project I will be working on between now and July 1, 2013, so I tried my best to make it something that can keep my attention and interest that long. Keep and eye out for Thesis updates as the year progresses... and wish me luck!



TITLE:
Baymen’s Heritage Museum and Waterfront Park on Long Beach Island
Past, Present and Future of Water Dependent Society

THESIS STATEMENT:
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the changing demand of a coastal society’s dependence on bays and oceans for transportation, recreation, nourishment, shelter and economy from the early Indian settlers to today, and to portray this dependency through the architecture of a museum celebrating these water-dependent uses.

BACKGROUND:
Since the early 1600’s when the Lenni Lenape Indians harvested the coastal waters for their vast resources and Dutch explorers began to land on the sandy beaches, the Barnegat Bay has provided food, shelter, transportation and other necessary amenities necessary for survival.  Today, although times and social context have changed, the Barnegat Bay and Atlantic Ocean provide other conveniences of a water dependent culture that drive the economic engine. Maritime resources ranging from commercial fishing, recreational boating, surfing and the tourist economy not only benefit Long Beach Island and the neighboring Stafford Township, but they are the reason for the areas economic survival. The Baymen’s Heritage Museum and Waterfront Park will celebrate the history of the Barnegat Bay and the people that lived on it, it will reveal the intricate relationship between the its vast resources and the requirements of a water dependent society, and it will explore the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship necessary to ensure that the Bay remains a resource for future generations.

PROGRAM:
This program is more than just a museum, it will include:

  • Baymen’s Heritage Museum,

    • Exhibition Space

    • Outdoor Gathering Spaces

    • CafĂ©

    • Meeting Rooms

    • Educational Spaces and Classrooms

    • Research Rooms

    • Storage and Mechanical

    • Circulation

    • Waterfront Park that includes developed and undeveloped shorelines (including a boat ramp and small municipal dock),

    • Nature Trails exhibiting the wide variety of flora and fauna of these areas and a glimpse to what the area may have looked like prior to major development and anthropogenic impacts.

    • Parking




SITE:
The proposed site is located on Cedar Bonnet Island adjacent to the Route 72 bridge connecting Stafford Township to Long Beach Island. The site is the optimal location because it provides easy access to the site, has high visibility to everyone entering or leaving LBI since this is the only bridge on and off the island, it is currently undeveloped, it contains a mix of wetlands, tidelands, and uplands, and it provides boat access to the adjacent New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway (NJICW).

TECHNOLOGY:
Modern technology is something that will be explored from not only a standpoint of integrated building systems, but from the standpoint of environmentally sustainable site design as well. For example, despite the economic importance of the recreational and commercial boating in this area, dredging and maintaining safe and navigable waters has come to all but a standstill due to the dwindling places to put dredged material. One site technology that can be investigated in depth during this Thesis is the Beneficial Use of Dredged material for raising elevations in required areas, creating paths and walkways as well as other applications. In addition to this, more “standard” technologies such as natural ventilation and sunlighting, solar power, and any opportunity to harvest wind or tidal energy will be explored.

CULTURAL CONTEXT:
As described above, both Long Beach Island and Stafford Township have a long history of being water dependent municipalities. However, there are very limited locations that celebrate this rich history and stress the importance of sustainability for future generations. This project will provide a highly visible, much needed outlet to raising awareness not only among locals, but to the millions of visitors that come to the Island every summer.

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09 July 2012

Great White Shark: Cape Cod Beach Reopens After Sighting

I hought Shark Week started in August...



Swimmers in Cape Cod, Mass. are venturing back into the water Sunday after a great white shark sighting closed a popular beach this weekend. Lifeguards and swimmers spotted the shark some 100 to 150 yards off Nauset Beach in Orleans Saturday afternoon. The 12-14 foot...

via Great White Shark: Cape Cod Beach Reopens After Sighting.

05 July 2012

Checking for Charity 2012 - Volunteer Needed!!!


Dear All:

We are well into July and the 2012 Checking for Charity tournament is quickly approaching. This year, the tournament will kick off with a Beef n' Beer on Thursday August 16th and the tournament games will be from Friday August 17th to Sunday August 19th. As we did last year, we will be holding games at both the Flyers Skate Zones in Voorhees as well as Pennsauken, NJ.


First things first, CFC has an immediate need for 2 or 3 volunteers to take on the responsibility of obtaining auction items for the Chinese and Silent Auction. This will require reaching out to potential donors to obtain auction items, keeping an inventory of the items, as well as assisting with the setup and actual auctions the weekend of the tournament. This is a great opportunity for people looking to get involved with this great cause not only during the tournament weekend, but throughout the preparation and planning process. If you are interested please let me and Marisa (marisa@evolvingathletes.com) know and we will be happy to get you started.


We are also beginning to think about volunteers during the tournament weekend. While I understand we are still a little ways away from the tournament and peoples' schedules and vacations may still be up in the air, I'm asking for you to start thinking about how much time you'd be willing to participate as a volunteer at this year's tournament.


We are currently working on a draft schedule broken into 3 hour time slots (approximately 2 hockey games) that will allow volunteers to choose what times they would like to volunteer, what rink they would like to volunteer at, and what section they would like to help out in. We will need volunteers to help out with registration table, merchandise tables, cooks (on the BBQ grill), selling Chinese Auction and 50/50 tickets, etc. For now, please think about helping out and let me know if you have any questions. If you already know specific times or areas you'd like to volunteer in, let me know and I will try my best to accommodate everyone.


One more important item. We are looking to greatly increase the number of volunteers this year. Please pass this email on to family, friends, charity representatives, coworkers, strangers and anyone else you think would like to be involved with CFC!!!


I look forward to seeing everyone again this year.




Best Regards,

Ed Gorleski

Director of Charitable Relations



edgorleski@gmail.com