February 2019
E-Newsletter
The Great Hudson River Revival is On!
We're delighted to share the good news that The Great Hudson River Revival will return in 2019! Thank for you your patience as we gear up for June 15 & 16th. Ticketing, lineup of artists, volunteer info and much more will be announced soon.
“This year, being the 50/100 celebration, is the most exciting time ever to be part of Clearwater and I intend to make the festival reflect just that" said Jason Samel, the 2019 Festival Director. "I shall never lay down Pete and Toshi’s torch, rather this year it will burn brighter than ever.”

A letter from the Executive Director
Dear Members,
 
Almost seven months ago when I joined Clearwater, one thing seemed clear: there was very little chance that we could afford to put on a Clearwater Festival at Croton Point in 2019.
Figuring out how to have a Croton-based Festival seemed as far-fetched in the fall of 2018 as going to the Moon seemed in 1962. I looked for words with which to thank you, our members for everything you’ve done since I’ve arrived and I found new meaning in  the words of President Kennedy , which I paraphrase here:  

We choose to have a Clearwater Festival in 2019 not because it is easy, but because it is hard,

Because this will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, 

Because these challenges are ones we are willing to accept, 

Ones we are unwilling to postpone, 

And ones which we intend to win.

You, our members are the source of our best energies and skills, and by coming together in recent months, you have organized them.
We expect to have tickets on sale soon. I hope we can count on you and your friends to purchase them early, volunteer enthusiastically, and join us at Croton Point Park this coming June 15 th  and 16 th .
 
Sincerely,
Greg Williams
The Green New Deal Resolution calls for a "national mobilization" to build "resiliency against climate change-related disasters" and achieve "100 percent of the power demand in the United States through  clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources " (page 7), within the next ten years. Of note, the GND Resolution does not use words such as fossil fuel, oil, coal or nuclear, or specify solar, wind, or hydroelectric as solutions. Clearwater and our partners in the Unity for Clean Energy coalition and beyond want to be sure that it is clear to our elected representatives that nuclear is NOT clean energy and should not be included in the GND or subsidized in any way and that nuclear has ongoing emissions of radioactive isotopes and greenhouses gasses, including compound that contain carbon-14, during operation and after decommissioning

Environmental Action Updates
  • The Army Corps of Engineers Interim Report on Storm Surge Barriers is due out very soon. Stay tuned!
  • Danskammer Energy will soon release a Preliminary Scoping Study for its proposal to build a new year-round fracked-gas plant on a flood-prone peninsula in the Hudson River just north of Newburgh. Clearwater and our colleagues will be asking for an extension to comment from 21 to 30 days and will offer strong opposition to this ill-conceived project. Investors dollars would be more wisely invested in renewables with storage and efficiency. You can help by writing to PSC, calling Governor Cuomo, or coming to City of Newburgh Common Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. Click here to learn how.
  • Good News! The GlidePath gas-fired peaker plant proposal in Town of Ulster has been revised to be battery storage only -- no fossil fuel combustion on site! Storage is essential to reduce the variability of renewables. This is a huge victory -- and was clearly in response to community opposition to hosting fossil fuel infrastructure. As Pete Seeger so wisely said, "Participation -- that's what's gonna save the human race."
  • Finally, watch for the EPA's upcoming determination regarding whether or not the PCB remediation in the Upper Hudson is adequately protective of human health and the Environment. We join with Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson and other river organizations and federal agencies in calling on EPA to NOT issue a Certificate of Completion to General Electric, but to rather require a more robust clean up that will ensure a more rapid decline in PCBs in fish and a more complete recovery of the river's ecosystem.
Aboard the Sloop Clearwater
Come sail with us this spring!

We are seeking enthusiastic volunteers to spend a week aboard the fine and splendid sloop with us in the spring! If you've been sailing with us for years, or just found out about this extraordinary new community, please submit your application to teach and sail with us next spring. No sailing or teaching experience is necessary, just a strong work ethic, an interest in teaching kids, and a willingness to sing!
 
Come lend a hand where you know you are needed:   Apply today .
Youth At the Helm Programs 

Teens from around the Hudson Valley and beyond are encourage to apply for our 3-day sailing, environmental science, and leadership programs aboard the sloop this summer. Our crew leads participants, aged 15-18 years old, on an unforgettable voyage to explore history, science, teamwork, and friendship together. We camp at riverside locations each evening for hiking, tenting, and campfires under the stars. Each applicant must apply for themself, will be interviewed, and all those who are accepted receive a full scholarship to participate. 

Program Dates:
LGBTQ+ and Allies at the Helm: July 9 – 11, 2019
Young Men at the Helm: August 6 – 8, 2019
Young Women at the Helm: August 20 – 22, 2019

Job Opportunities
Clearwater is hiring an Education Director! T he Education Director plans, coordinates and manages Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s educational programs including day to day operations, as well as actively participates in strategic planning, grant development and administration .
Click here for more details.
Clearwater's education program has been led by Maija Niemistö, who we wish well as she sails onto a new opportunity. Maija has been a devoted educator and asset to the organization, leading initiatives in dismantling systemic racism, climate change education, marine science data collection, and mircroplastics studies. Click here to read Maija's farewell letter to you.
Welcome Back to our Sailing Crew!
Clearwater's spring crew and education staff will arrive mid March to begin an intensive week of training and preparation. They will dig deep into the estuary dynamics, identify hundreds of fish, sing a constant chorus of Seeger tunes, and emerge at the end of the week ready to lead thousand of school kids on our award winning environmental education programs. They will be drilled how sail the boat safely and respond to any potential emergency. We are honored to have many crew returning, as well as some new hands aboard the boat. If you sail with us this year as a teacher, volunteer, musician or passenger remember to thank these fine folks who will be up early washing the decks, hauling hard on lines all day, and awake late learning new chanties. The work ahead of them is challenging and rewarding, like no other place.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at our sold out Clearwater Gala on Sunday! Congratulations again to our honorees Adam Green and John Mylod and thank you to our keynote speaker Melanie Colby.
Join Clearwater! 
Being a member of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater means being part of the organization's very soul. You become a part owner of the Sloop and everything else we own and do.
February is
Black History Month
Learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and pick up a tool to help teach tolerance through songs and pictures in the book  Everybody Says Freedom  by Pete Seeger & Bob Reiser with a forward by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Get rewards for supporting Clearwater!
On March 1st, Clearwater will be launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, the worldwide leader in crowdfunding. This is a great opportunity to make contributions to Clearwater and receive a wonderful reward for your help! We are fundraising in conjunction with our celebration of Clearwater's 50th year and the 100th anniversary of Pete Seeger's life. If you would like to support Clearwater's ongoing educational and activist initiatives please consider participating in this campaign!
Click here to learn more
Upcoming Events
Chefs for Clearwater
Mark your calendars for  Saturday, September 14 th , as Chef’s for Clearwater returns for its fourth year. 

Join us at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY for an evening of fine food and drink, created from local sources practicing sustainable agriculture, led by talented local chefs from restaurants throughout the Hudson Valley and a few celebrity chef surprises.
 
Plan on an early arrival to enjoy signature Clearwater Cocktails, the Hudson River view, live music and both Silent and Live Auctions. 

Watch  ChefsforClearwater.org  for more information as it becomes available.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater | 845-265-8080 | office@clearwater.org |  www.clearwater.org