Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum

 Annoucement from the local Lake Pontchartrain Sail & Power Squadron on their upcoming Education Programs. Please contact Nick Chronis at (985) 674-2687 for more information on these programs.

Elective USPS Course: The LPSPS Education Department will present the “Marine Electrical Systems” course. We’re very pleased to announce that the course will be taught by John Bell who has been certified by the US Navy in Electrical Engineering. Originally, the instruction was scheduled to begin on January 28, but that will be delayed slightly for administrative reasons. Stay tuned for an announcement on the specific start date for instruction.

In the meantime, readers may like to know that this updated course (which is a prerequisite for “Inland Navigator” certification) involves three new standalone “systems” courses; these three modules will be presented in sequence and are: ME 101 – Marine Electrical Systems; ME 102 – Marine Communications Systems, and; ME 103 Marine Navigation Systems.

Course fees: $70.00 for members and $105 for non-USPS members. Please contact Nick Chronis at (985) 674-2687 to sign-up for the instruction and order your student kit (included in the course fee).

Seminar: We also are planning to have a seminar on the subject of “Using VHF and VHF/DSC Marine Radio”. This seminar (which is a prerequisite for “Inland Navigator” certification) will be presented at the Maritime Museum from 1000-1200, on Saturday, February 4, 2012. Fees for this seminar:  $10.00  for members and $20.00 for non-USPS members. Please contact Nick Chronis at (985) 674-2687 to sign-up.

Public Boating Course: Our squadron is scheduled to present the America’s Boating Course (“ABC”) Class on Saturday, April 21. This public boating course is presented as a courtesy to the boating public in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Teaching Elementary School Students: The Maritime Museum has asked for our support to present “Field Trips for Elementary School Children” on the following dates: Feb. – 13 & 14; March – 1, 2, 16, 29(afternoon), and; April – 20. If you are willing to support this fun activity, please contact Nick Chronis at (985) 674-2687.

As announced in our newsletter, the Maritime Museum added a model of the Steamboat New Orleans to its collections thanks to Mr. Lowell Ford. The model is on display near the River Boat Pilot Exhibit in the Museum. It is truly remarkable.

Soon, the Museum will share that wonderful piece with the River Heritage Foundation of New Orleans. In New Orleans on January 28, 2012, the River Heritage Foundation is hosting a grand bicentennial celebration commemorating the arrival of the Steamboat New Orleans in 1812. The New Orleans model built for the Maritime Museum by Mr. Ford will be a part of that celebration. The New Orleans was the first steamboat on western waters and its success led to thousands of steamboats operating on the rivers of America.

The steamboat was owned by Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston and constructed by Nicholas Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt’s wife and children were also counted as passengers on the first steamboat on inland rivers. The storied journey of the New Orleans includes weddings, births, a great earthquake, the Great Comet of 1811, and threat of tribal attack.

The 2012 Steamboat New Orleans Bicentennial Celebration is sure to be an interesting day filled with events commemorating this great voyage and the steamboat era. For more information on the celebration, please contact Frank Courtenay with the River Heritage Foundation at FAC@preisroy.com or (504) 289-6560.

The 2012 Wooden Boat Festival will be held the Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14, 2012. The kick-off party Maritime Mania will be held Friday, October 12. Please visit the festival website, www.woodenboatfest.org, or like the festival’s facebook page for updates and more information on the 23rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival.

Check out the Aquatic Robotics page for updates on the 2012 Aquatic Robotics Summer Camp: http://lpbmm.org/education/aquatic-robotics-program/

Email Education Coordinator, Stephanie at educator@lpbmm.org to placed on an informational email list for the camp.

Students in the 2011 Aquatic Robotics Summer Camp assemble the frames of their ROV.

The Maritime Museum will be open for New Year’s Eve on Saturday from 10am-4pm and on New Year’s Day from 12pm-4pm.

We wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2012!

Reminder: Annual Meeting- January 18, 2012 at 6pm in the Museum’s reception room.

Snow at the Maritime Museum, 2008

As our gift to you and your family, general admission* to the Maritime Museum will be free for the month of December! We have new exhibits, a Christmas tree forest, and a new art exhibit for the month of December. Stop by and see what we have to offer! Become a member while you’re here for free admission all year, 20% off items in the giftshop (we have some great holiday items), and invitations to special events.

*Does not include guided tours or special events.

It’s Christmas at the Maritime Museum! The front lawn of the museum is now covered with Christmas trees decorated in the theme, “International”. They are being decorated by friends of the Maritime Museum, tree sponsors, and local schools. Stop by to see them anytime or come on Sunday, December 11 at 3:00pm to enjoy hot chocolate and caroling by St. Peter’s School children’s chorus. The museum will also be open and free to the public that day and for the whole month of December.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for 2011 International Christmas at the Maritime Museum:

Lowe’s of Covington, Shady Pond Tree Farm of Pearl River, Tiger Branch Christmas Trees, Seal Tite International, Madisonville Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Covington, Feilding’s Photography, Animal Care Hospital, Madisonville Animal Hospital, Auto Glass Unlimited LLC, Kiwanis of Covington, Kingsmill Properties and Management, Dan and Gloria Johnson CPA, and many more individuals!

The Maritime Museum will be open on Christmas Eve, December 24th from 10am-4pm. Come by and see the decorated trees and enjoy free admission to the museum. Please note, that the museum will be closed for Christmas Day, Sunday December 25th, and the day after. Merry Christmas!

Click here for more information on this and other art exhibitions at the LPB Maritime Museum.

The “Treasures of Madisonville” art exhibit is a wonderful exhibit by the Art for Madisonville members depicting life in Madisonville. There is artwork related to the history and natural resources of the town of Madisonville including photography, watercolor, acrylic, oil, wood carving, pottery and much more. Stop by soon, this exhibit won’t be with us for long!

Here’s a sneak peek of what you can see:

The new exhibit to call the LPB Maritime Museum home tells the histories of families that survived and thrived on the waterways of eastern St. Tammany and the coming of the railroad. A 10-minute video history presentation accompanies the exhibit and allows visitors to hear the stories behind the images. The 10-minute video was edited from the one-hour long documnetary that will be shown in it’s entirety at the reception on November 10th. The reception is from 6-8pm with the film beginning at 6:30pm.

The hour long documentary, “Waterways to Railways” began as a part of the Olde Towne Arts Center’s Digital Arts Program that teaches the use of digital media to preserve family and community histories. In collaboration with the Guardians of Slidell History, the public was invited last fall to bring images and record oral histories to be digitally archived by OTAC volunteers and instructors.

You don’t want to miss this reception and showing of the documentary! It is FREE to the public and light refreshments will be served.

Click here to see the article in the Times Picayune about the new exhibit and reception.