Current News

The 2012 Mariner’s Ball: A Salute to the American Sprit can now be found online:

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:15:00 GMT

The 2012 Mariner’s Ball: A Salute to the American Sprit can now be found online:

Information about the 2012 Mariner Ball, including an online ticket purchase option is now available: www.flagshipniagara.org/mariner

The Flagship Niagara’s Science Voyage is featured in the Port Clinton Beacon

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:13:00 GMT

The Flagship Niagara’s Science Voyage is featured in the Port Clinton Beacon

Apply now for summer class aboard the tall ship Niagara

Students interested in environmental science and policy have a unique opportunity for a summer class: a three-week trip across the Great Lakes on the tall ship Brig Niagara, a replica of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship from the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The course, which is offered as a partnership between Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory, Niagara University and Penn State University, will introduce students to hands-on lake science and Great Lakes policy issues while allowing them to experience life aboard an authentic wooden naval warship.

On the voyage, students will stop at ports of call in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, including a two-day stay at Stone Laboratory. Much of the course includes sailing the ship, water sampling, fish trawling and dissections, and a general close-up on how lake science and ship handling works. Class discussions will expand students’ knowledge of current issues facing the Great Lakes, as well as apply newly learned materials to concerns about Great Lakes environmental policy.

While previous sailing experience is not required, students will be expected to help sail the ship (within their level of comfort). According to course instructor Dr. Bill Edwards, few people have the opportunity to challenge themselves in such a unique environment, and participants in previous years have come away from the trip with newly learned self-confidence, along with valuable lessons in teamwork, leadership, discipline and communication.
Students from any college or university are welcome to apply for this three-week field experience, running from July 11-31. Stone Laboratory will be offering OSU course credit for EEOB 3189: Field Experience for undergraduate students and EEOB 5189: Field Work for graduate students.

For detailed information, contact Matt Thomas, Stone Lab Manager, at thomas.347@osu.edu or Bill Edwards, Niagara University Associate Professor of Biology, at wje@niagara.edu .
The application deadline is March 19. Interested students should apply at stonelab.osu.edu/applynow

Niagara Featured In Maritime Executive Magazine

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:28:00 GMT

Niagara Featured In Maritime Executive Magazine

Wood Framing Replaced on US Brig NIAGARA

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Erie, Pennsylvania’s Flagship, the US Brig NIAGARA, arrived at Great Lakes Shipyard to replace framing in the bow. The work on the NIAGARA at Great Lakes Shipyard will include replacing three frames and will take approximately four weeks.

In September of last year, the NIAGARA spent two weeks in the Great Lakes Shipyard’s drydock for out of water surveying, hull cleaning and painting, propeller inspection, and other routine maintenance.
Owned and maintained by the PA Historical and Museum Commission, an agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Flagship NIAGARA is a reconstruction of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s ship that led the Battle of Lake Erie victory on September 10, 1813. The bicentennial celebration of Commodore Perry and the NIAGARA’s Battle of Lake Erie victory will take place in September, 2013.

FNL Offers New Referral Program to Returning Trainees

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:26:00 GMT

FNL Offers New Referral Program to Returning Trainees

The Flagship Niagara League has a new referral program. We are providing $300 discounts to returning trainees who refer a friend, bring a friend, etc. There is no limit to this offer. If you have sailed before and wanted to bring five friends, you would sail for free! The idea is simple…we are trying to attract new people to sail on Niagara! Spread the word to your friends! You can call or email us for more info. sail@flagshipniagara.org 814-452-2744x223

Special 2012 Voyage Update

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:05:00 GMT

EXPERIENCE SOMETHING INCREDIBLE THIS SUMMER!

The Flagship Niagara is offering three incredibly unique voyages this coming summer. All three voyages have availability and are open to the public. While each voyage has a theme, virtually anyone who is interested in history, science or adventure can apply! Each voyage is three weeks in length. We do offer a variety of discounts to our members AND returning trainees.

The dates are as follows:
May 31-June 19 – History Theme
June 22-July 12 – History/Science Mix
July 11-July 31 – Science Theme

Our science voyage is even gaining notoriety around the Great Lakes – see the right hand article published in the Great Lakes Echo on Thursday, February 23.

New York professor, pollution institute study plastic in the Great Lakes

from on board sailing vessel

Feb 23 2012 Alethia Kasben

Sherri Mason once watched a plastic bag blow around Niagara Falls and drop into the water far below.

Although the water looks clean, she knows plastic pollutes the Great Lakes.

The chemistry professor at the State University of New York, decided to study the problem after discovering that it hadn’t been done before.

The 3-week-long study of the Great Lakes will be spent on this vessel, The Flagship Niagara. Photo: Flagship Niagara Niagara League

“There was not a single other study done on this and I thought, ‘oh this is a gold mine,’” she said. “It is not my expertise, but I started learning more about how they do this field work.”

For help, Mason contacted the 5 Gyres Institute, a group that has studied plastic pollution in the ocean. It is named for five subtropical gyres – rotating ocean currents where plastic can collect. “They are spinning vortexes. Like a toilet without a drain,” said Stiv Wilson, the communication director of the group.

The organization has advocated against plastic pollution on the east and west coasts, but hasn’t worked much in the Midwest, Wilson said.

The Great Lakes study will not only look at the amount of plastic present in the water, but also the amount of plastic the fish are eating, Wilson said.

“Plastic attracts a lot of persistent organic pesticides and the plastic particles in the lake concentrate these pesticides,” he said. “The fish we eat consume this plastic. We want to look at plastic ingestion in the fish and how that travels up the food chain to humans.”

The 5 Gyres Institute essentially catches rides with other scientists studying plastic pollution around the world since it is expensive to sail a boat long distances. When Mason contacted the institute, it was also looking to study the Great Lakes, Wilson said.

“Pollution in our lakes and rivers ultimately ends up in the ocean,” he said. “People have looked at debris on the shoreline, but not in the freshwater systems. We will be looking at the density of pollution and training a new generation of scientists to monitor it now and in the future.

Wilson said knowing the problem is half the battle. The rest is fixing it.

“If you look at this issue as a whole, globally, there are a lot of places where this has never been studied,” he said.

The study starts this summer and repeats annually. Mason, students and faculty from several universities in the region and members of 5 Gyres will study all five Great Lakes for three weeks from on board the Flagship Niagara, provided by the Flagship Niagara League.

The vessel, based at the Erie Maritime Museum in Pennsylvania, is a reconstructed flagship , famous for winning the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
trawl filters the water so even the smallest pieces of plastic can be found in the water. Photo: 5 Gyres Institute

The study will be done using a trawl, which is an aluminum box that floats on the water with two wings on either side, Wilson said. A net that catches everything but the water is used within the trawl. The contents of the net are checked for pieces of decomposed plastic, he said.

“We are only going to be hitting a small cross section of the overall lake surface area,” Mason said. “This first attempt should be interesting.”

Simple things like using a reusable grocery bag and not using a bag when only buying one thing can mitigate plastic pollution, Mason said.

“If it is in our water, it is in us,” If it is in our water, it is in us,” Mason said. “I want to make people aware that we are the problem, but that often means we are the solution too.”

© 2012, Great Lakes Echo, Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. Republish under these guidelines

Flagship Niagara League Hires Shawn Waskiewicz

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:29:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2012

Contact:

Timothy A. Goldsmith

Flagship Niagara League Board President

tgoldsmith@malinbergquist.com

814-454-4008

Flagship Niagara League Names Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of the Flagship Niagara League has selected E. Shawn Waskiewicz as its executive director, effective March 19.

Waskiewicz currently serves as the Assistant General Manager of Administration for the Erie Otters. He is a graduate of Harborcreek High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Edinboro University. He recently completed his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Mercyhurst University and was named the Walker School of Business Graduate of the Year last May.

Waskiewicz has worked in the sports industry for more than 14 years in various roles. In his current role with the Erie Otters, he manages day to day business operations. “We are excited about Shawn coming aboard,” Goldsmith said. “Shawn’s strong sponsorship and event management background make him a well suited professional for the important 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie and our next Tall Ships event in 2013”. He will fill a critical role to help develop a stronger organization as we grow.

“I’m excited for this new and challenging opportunity,” said Waskiewicz. “I’ll be pulling from my sports business background to lead the Flagship Niagara League into new endeavors while supporting their initiatives. It’s a great organization with a lot of potential.”

The Flagship Niagara League conducted a national search with the assistance of J.L. Nick and Associates and board president Timothy Goldsmith said the League was pleased to find the most qualified candidate right here in Erie.

About the Flagship Niagara:

The Flagship Niagara is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and is operated by the Flagship Niagara League, Inc., a private 501-c3 non-profit organization. The Flagship Niagara is inspected by the US Coast Guard as a Sailing School Vessel and operates as such in the summer months only. The ship is available for public viewing year-round at the Erie Maritime Museum unless she is underway on a training mission or visiting another port during the summer.

The vessel’s hull is 123 feet long (198’ overall length) and has overnight berthing for 18 professional crew and 22 trainees. There are several ways the public can sail on board: as a daysail student, a for-credit high school or college student, or a live

Calling all Men and Women Ages 18-25!

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:38:00 GMT

Calling all Men and Women Ages 18-25! The Flagship Niagara invites you to sail for three weeks of adventure and enrichment this summer...sign up yourself of give this gift of a lifetime for Christmas. Our season is jam packed in 2012, so space (right now) is limited to May 31-June 19. Note: there is some time in Sept avaiable for non school age individuals. Email us for more info: sail@flagshipniagara.org

Looking for a little Adventure this Summer?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:10:00 GMT

Looking for a little Adventure this Summer?

The Flagship Niagara has now entered into Open Enrollment season for our three signature programs in 2012: College-level Social Science; College-level Natural Science; and High School-level history/science. All three programs offer credits that count towards a student’s graduation. Each voyage lasts three weeks. The list of participating schools has grown too long to list.
The programs have been extremely successful with students reporting extremely positive feedback on their evaluations!
If you are student or you know a student who might be interested, please contact us today:

cpifer@flagshipniagara.org

814-452-2744x223
Space is limited.

Erie Maritime Museum Speaker Series Features Lake Erie Shipwrecks

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:38:00 GMT

Erie Maritime Museum Speaker Series Features Lake Erie Shipwrecks

Georgann and Mike Wachter have been diving around the world since the mid 1970’s, but nowhere else in the world have they discovered the kind of pristine and perfectly preserved shipwrecks that lie in the fresh waters of the Great Lakes. On Saturday, October 15, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., in the Hirt Auditorium, they will present a photo tour of newer Lake Erie shipwreck locations. Their talk, “The Dynamic Dozen – 13 Lake Erie Shipwrecks”, is part of the Erie Maritime Museum Speaker Series.

The Wachters passion for shipwrecks resulted in three “Erie Wrecks” books which they researched and co-authored, as well as numerous articles and presentations inspired by their diving experiences. Wrecks featured in the “Dynamic Dozen” include two historic sidewheel steamers, a steamer involved in the third worst disaster on the open waters of the Great Lakes, and a pristine schooner, totally intact under 60 feet of water. Diving sites range from sport depths to technical. Along with images of the wrecks, the Wachters share stories and the facts surrounding the wrecks.

“The Dynamic Dozen” is open to the public free of charge, sponsored by Diver’s World of Erie, Inc. You learn more about Georgann and Mike’s wreck dives at their website, www.eriewrecks.com .

Speaker Series Begins in September

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:41:00 GMT

“Fortune and Fury” Author to Share Discoveries
About Commercial Fishing Industry in Erie
click to view flyer

The Erie Maritime Museum opens its 2011-12 Speaker Series with local author and Bayfront historian Jerry Skrypzak on Saturday, September 24, 2011. At 2:00 p.m. in the Hirt Auditorium. Mr. Skrypzak recently co-authored the book Fortune and Fury, A History of Commercial Fishing in Erie with David Frew.

A life-long student of Erie’s waterfront, Jerry has collected and personally photographed a tremendous number of images related to Erie’s docks and commercial fishing industry. Many images from his collection are published for the first time in Fortune and Fury. His presentation for the Speaker Series will follow his trail of discovery as he and Dr. Frew brought this most comprehensive study of Erie’s fishing industry together. There were still a few surprises out there, and new information to be found, even for these local experts! Jerry will share this new information as a part of his presentation.

Jerry Skrypzak’s talk is open to the public, free of charge. Signed copies of Fortune and Fury will be available in the Museum’s Gift Shop after the talk.

The Erie Maritime Museum and the Hirt Auditorium are located at 150 East Front Street, Erie, PA 16507.

Time Warner Cable Supports Flagship Niagara Program

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:17:00 GMT

Time Warner Cable Supports Flagship Niagara Program

AKRON, OH (AUGUST 2011) – Time Warner Cable employees recently presented a $2,500 check to the Flagship Niagara’s "Time Warner Cable Science Consortium Voyage" program, which supports a three-week environment science course aboard the ship for college and high school students.

The course will trace the science, history and policy of the Great Lakes from Lake Erie to Lake Huron on to Georgian Bay. Students will experience each ecosystem first hand and will document their voyage through a combination of reflective and factual video and written blogs.

The customized course will focus on biology, ecology and natural history and is the collaboration of professors and students from:
Edinboro University - Edinboro, Pa
Allegheny College - Meadville, Pa
Lock Haven University - Lock Haven, Pa
Franklin and Marshall College - Lancaster, Pa
University of Connecticut - Avery Point, CT
Heidelberg University - Tiffin, Ohio
Walsh University - Canton, Ohio
Niagara University - Buffalo, NY
State University of New York College at Fredonia - Fredonia, NY

The Flagship Niagara is one of the nation's largest “tall ships” (198'). The ship is a reproduction of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship form the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The ship was built in 1988 and is homeported at the Erie Maritime museum located in Erie, Pa. More information: http://flagshipniagara.org/flagship_niagara/index.htm

Time Warner Cable supports science, technology, engineering and math education through its Connect a Million Minds program. More information: www.connectamillionminds.com.

For more information on Time Warner Cable, please log onto www.timewarnercable.com. Members of the media can access Time Warner Cable Northeast Ohio Division’s online media center at http://www.timewarnercable.com/neowpa/newsroom/.

About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located in five geographic areas — New York State (including New York City), the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. Time Warner Cable serves more than 14.7 million customers who subscribe to one or more of its video, high-speed data and voice services. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers a suite of phone, Internet, Ethernet and cable television services to businesses of all sizes. Time Warner Cable Media Sales, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions that are targeted and affordable. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com, www.twcbc.com and www.twcmediasales.com.

###

Contact:
Travis Reynolds, Time Warner Cable, 330/572-4020 or travis.reynolds@twcable.com

Erie Gives Day Thank You

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:43:00 GMT

THANK YOU to all of our friends and supporters! You all pitched in to help make yesterday's Erie Gives Day a huge success! The Flagship Niagara League was listed among the top ten organizations (number 6) who received the most donations. We will release the actual number of donors when we have more figures the next week.

Honoring Our History” Tour Brings the World War I Story to Erie

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:10:00 GMT

Honoring Our History” Tour Brings the World War I Story to Erie

On Tuesday, July 19, the Erie Maritime Museum will be the first stop in Pennsylvania for the National World War I Museum’s traveling gallery. A journey through the Honoring Our History World War I gallery will expose the realities of the war, from its primitive tools and equipment to the doughboy’s heavy, woolen uniform and steel helmet. Visitors will emerge with a clear view of a war that, for many Americans, has mostly been a dim and distant event.

In addition to uniforms and equipment from U. S. soldiers and sailors, the gallery includes uniforms and equipment from the British, French and German combatants. Visitors will be able to walk through a trench that simulates the war environment, and watch and hear videos and audio tracks that tell the story of the Great War and the men and women who served. Artifacts include items that remind us all that war at the beginning of the 20th Century was an effort that included all citizens – everyone’s life was touched in some way by the war.

The Honoring Our History tour is sponsored by Waddell & Reed, and open to the public free of charge from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. In addition, the financial advisors at the local Waddell & Reed office are sponsoring free admission to the Erie Maritime Museum that day as well.

Mercyhurst College to host and sponsor “Ghosts Afloat” this October

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:20:00 GMT

Amanda Prischak, Marketing Coordinator
Ph: (814) 824-3024 • aprischak@mercyhurst.edu • Fx: (814) 824-2473

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amanda Prischak, Marketing Coordinator
Mercyhurst College
201 East 38th Street
204 Main
Erie, PA 16546
(814) 824-3024
aprischak@mercyhurst.edu
http://www.mercyhurst.edu

July 7, 2011

Mercyhurst College to host and sponsor “Ghosts Afloat” this October

Erie, PA - Some of the spookiest local lore will come to life for three weekends this October during “Ghosts Afloat,” a haunted ship experience aboard Erie’s own Flagship Niagara.

The Flagship Niagara League, along with strong support from title sponsor Mercyhurst College, revived the popular community event this year after a more than a decade-long hiatus.

“’Ghosts Afloat’ is a logistically intense event to both plan and execute,” said Caleb Pifer, marketing & development director for the Flagship Niagara League. “We are incredibly grateful for Mercyhurst’s support and leadership to pull off this unique community event.”

Dr. Thomas J. Gamble, president of Mercyhurst College, is also excited about “Ghosts Afloat,” saying, “We’re pleased to lend financial support and volunteer hours to this unique event that benefits the entire community.”

Mercyhurst students from several departments will bring Erie’s ghost lore alive by decorating the ship and staffing the event. There will also be seasonal treats from Mercyhurst’s garden in Girard and from local vendors for sale.

“Ghosts Afloat” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on October 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30. More information will be posted at ghostsafloat.org in the coming weeks.

[END]

Honoring Our History -- World War I Traveling Gallery Visits the Erie Maritime Museum

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:46:00 GMT

Honoring Our History --
World War I Traveling Gallery Visits the Erie Maritime Museum

Click to See Flyer

The Erie Maritime Museum will be the host site for the Honoring Our History World War I traveling gallery on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Sponsored by the financial advisors at Waddell & Reed, this unique gallery, housed in an 18-wheel truck, is free and open to the public from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. In conjunction with the gallery visit, the Erie Waddell & Reed office will also sponsor free admission to the Erie Maritime Museum for the day.

Dubbed the “Honoring Our History Tour”, the traveling museum offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum – the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of a war that brought a dramatic impact that still echoes today.

The traveling gallery features a variety of artifacts, videos, a walk-through trench that simulates the war environment, audio tracks, headlines and historical descriptions. It allows visitors to experience the tight conditions of trench warfare and see the relatively primitive tools, weapons, equipment and uniforms, amid sounds and sights of war 100 years ago.

The Erie Maritime Museum is the second stop on the Honoring Our History Tour. A partnership of the National World War I Museum and Waddell & Reed, the tour raises awareness and funds for this museum and cultural institutions throughout the United States. Company founders Chauncey Waddell and Cameron Reed, both World War I veterans, are honored in this project that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the company.

To learn more about the Honoring Our History Tour, please visit www.honoringourhistory.com .

Current News

The 2012 Mariner’s Ball: A Salute to the American Sprit can now be found online:

The 2012 Mariner’s Ball: A Salute to the American Sprit can now be found online:

The Flagship Niagara’s Science Voyage is featured in the Port Clinton Beacon

The Flagship Niagara’s Science Voyage is featured in the Port Clinton Beacon

Niagara Featured In Maritime Executive Magazine

Niagara Featured In Maritime Executive Magazine

Wood Framing Replaced on US Brig NIAGARA

FNL Offers New Referral Program to Returning Trainees

FNL Offers New Referral Program to Returning Trainees

Special 2012 Voyage Update

EXPERIENCE SOMETHING INCREDIBLE THIS SUMMER!

New York professor, pollution institute study plastic in the Great Lakes

from on board sailing vessel

Flagship Niagara League Hires Shawn Waskiewicz

Flagship Niagara League Names Executive Director

Calling all Men and Women Ages 18-25!

Looking for a little Adventure this Summer?

Looking for a little Adventure this Summer?

Erie Maritime Museum Speaker Series Features Lake Erie Shipwrecks

Erie Maritime Museum Speaker Series Features Lake Erie Shipwrecks

Speaker Series Begins in September

“Fortune and Fury” Author to Share Discoveries About Commercial Fishing Industry in Erie click to view flyer

Time Warner Cable Supports Flagship Niagara Program

Time Warner Cable Supports Flagship Niagara Program

Erie Gives Day Thank You

Honoring Our History” Tour Brings the World War I Story to Erie

Honoring Our History” Tour Brings the World War I Story to Erie

Mercyhurst College to host and sponsor “Ghosts Afloat” this October

Honoring Our History -- World War I Traveling Gallery Visits the Erie Maritime Museum

Honoring Our History -- World War I Traveling Gallery Visits the Erie Maritime Museum Click to See Flyer

“Fortune and Fury” Author to Share Discoveries
About Commercial Fishing Industry in Erie
click to view flyer

Honoring Our History --
World War I Traveling Gallery Visits the Erie Maritime Museum

Click to See Flyer