Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWS April 2011 PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM NEWS Continued from Page 9.


next year’s boatbuilding classes, which may incorporate other academic subjects, including mathematics, history, and English language arts. Funding for the project came from the Nellie Mae Educational Foundation.


A second collaboration will reprise the popular “Then and Now” photo exhibit, this time with a maritime focus. Last year, students worked in our photo archives to research local scenes from long ago, then photographed those scenes as they appear today, and collected oral histories about the scenes from local residents. The project, and the resulting photo exhibit, were so successful and popular that several students asked teacher Leslie Gregory for an encore, and the museum was again glad to assist. This year’s theme is “Then and Now in Maritime Careers.” It will involve research in the museum’s photo and manuscript collections as well as interviews with community watermen and women. Photo Archivist Kevin Johnson and Education Director Betty Schopmeyer will support this project.


Library Storage Reorganization The Stephen Phillips Memorial Library received a substantial gift of books this winter from former International Marine editor Jonathan Eaton. This coincides with efforts by library volunteers and Collections Manager Cipperly Good to reorganize library storage. For years, the library’s large genealogy and maritime history collections have been scattered across two floors of closed stacks, filling in wherever there was an empty shelf. The new organization puts all the genealogy materials on one level, and all


maritime history materials on another. This will allow library personnel to reliably find what they need without having to run from one floor to another.


The final stage of the project will be to move the glass plate negative collections from the third floor to the ground floor, where the load will be better supported. We are indebted to our volunteers for taking on this arduous but important project.


New Fundraising Software PMM has installed new donor management software in the Development Department. GiftWorks Premium, from Mission Research, will improve the timeliness, efficiency and effectiveness of the museum’s mailings and other fundraising efforts, and better enable us to track and analyze donations by source, campaign and other criteria.


Among other immediate advantages incurred, we can now track donors and members by the exact date that they plan to move from their year-round to their summer homes and back. This will help us get mailings to the right place at the right time. Please update your seasonal addresses by contacting Bob Holtzman with the exact date you plan to shift residence.


Canoe Still Looking For a Home Failure to sell the birchbark canoe we built on campus last summer means that the museum will not host the construction of another one this year. This program, which teaches the rare skill of bark canoe building to apprentices from the Wabanaki tribes, relies on the proceeds from the disposition of each year’s canoe to fund the following year’s class.


You can help us continue this valuable effort at cultural skills survival, and come out of the deal with a splendid, authentic 16-foot birchbark canoe, suitable for both paddling and display. For information, contact Curator Ben Fuller.


Two Superb Education Opportunities “Celebrating the Maritime Heritage of Penobscot Bay and Beyond” will explore the region’s historic connection to the sea and Penobscot Marine Museum’s role in preserving that history. Learn about the area’s history, its traditional industries, and the importance of the China trade; study marine art from and about the region; view images from important photography collections; and hear how Penobscot Marine Museum was founded 75 years ago and how it grew. The class will be taught by museum staff at UMaine Hutchinson Center in Belfast on six consecutive Thursdays, from March 31 to May 5, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and will culminate in a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum. Registration is through Senior College.


The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition and the Maine Coastal Program of the State Planning Office are offering a unique opportunity to learn about the region’s ecology in the Penobscot Bay Stewards Program. The course will cover marine mammals, island ecology, coastal and intertidal habitats, geology, aquaculture, and other topics. Morning sessions will be held at Penobscot Marine Museum; afternoons will be field trips. Classes will run Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 3 to May 31 (no class on May 5) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course is free, but participants are expected to volunteer 30 hours to local


conservation efforts during the coming year. For information, call 207-338-8666 or 207- 338-1147.


Still Room in Sailor’s Valentine Class Sailors’ valentines are framed arrangements of shells in geometric or floral patterns - often with a central photograph or message spelled out in tiny shells. Popular in the 19th century, they were produced mainly in Barbados, and purchased by American seamen as gifts for beloved womenfolk at home. Our February and March classes in this fascinating craft filled up almost as soon as they were announced, but there are still a few seats available in the April 9 session. The Class will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is $40 ($36 for museum members) and includes materials and refreshments. To register, contact Betty Schopmeyer: 207-548-2529 ext. 206.


Events and Exhibits


Waldo County Through Eastern’s Eye: Historic photos of town and country from the Eastern Illustrating collection. At the Hutchinson Center, Belfast through 4/30 Main Street, Maine: Historic town photos from the Eastern Illustrating collection. At Newport Cultural Center through 5/3


Spring Cleanup and Volunteer Day: Help us prepare for opening day. We’ll serve breakfast and lunch: you bring the elbow grease. Contact. 5/14, 8:30 am - 4 pm Opening Day: Penobscot Marine Museum opens for its 75th year with new exhibits for all ages. 5/27, 10 am - 5 pm Opening Reception: Celebrate opening day with free refreshments and an introduction to the new exhibits. 5/27, 5:30 pm - 7 pm


SATURN in the Ice: Will Winter Ever End?


A couple of views of SATURN sitting in the ice at Kustom Steel in Brewer, right across the river from Hollywood Slots. The ice has broken, but it is still too cold to work on the exterior. As soon as it warms up work will begin on finishing the pilothouse, stack and stackhouse and boat deck. Will also finish inside bulwarks and topsides and try to get as much of her bottom done. However, the main focus this summer will be in the engine room. First job is to clean the bilge - ANY VOLUNTEERS!


SATURN is a 117-foot railroad tug built as the BERN for the Reading Railroad in 1907. She is one of the last railroad tugs in existence and is being saved for future generations to enjoy. For further information : (207) 223-8846 or to join the Friends of SATURN, send a check for $25 or more to P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME 04496.


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