Monday, November 10, 2008

Maritime Art Beside the Canal

Plans are in the pipeline to install artwork with a maritime theme to enhance the entrance to the Canal Basin.

The artwork will take the form of a marine buoy, currently located at Piazza Terracina, mounted on a granite plinth. The buoy, which is a similar design to the one that marks safe water at the entrance to the estuary, is to be moved and restored with a flashing light in the centre. It will stand on the plinth, which is to be engraved with a wave design, and will incorporate a section of the poem, "The Seafarer", translated from the Exeter Book, and interpretative information. The work will be located on the area known as Kings Arms Isthmus between Canal Basin and the entrance to Riverside Valley Park.

The plans, which have been submitted for Council planning approval, show the park entrance improved with more trees, new seats and lighting.

Proposals are also being developed for removing inappropriate fencing, and widening the cyclepath, as part of the wider Riverside Valley Park improvements which were developed from the public consultation held in 2003-4.

The cost of the cycleway and lighting are to be funded by Sustrans and Devon County Council. Exeter City Council has approved a budget of £130,000 for the rest of the improvements.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Maritime Art Beside The Canal

Plans are in the pipeline to install artwork with a maritime theme to enhance the entrance to the Canal Basin.

The artwork will take the form of a marine buoy, currently located at Piazza Terracina, mounted on a granite plinth. The buoy, which is a similar design to the one that marks safe water at the entrance to the estuary, is to be moved and restored with a flashing light in the centre. It will stand on the plinth, which is to be engraved with a wave design, and will incorporate a section of the poem, "The Seafarer", translated from the Exeter Book, and interpretative information. The work will be located on the area known as Kings Arms Isthmus between Canal Basin and the entrance to Riverside Valley Park.

The plans, which have been submitted for Council planning approval, show the park entrance improved with more trees, new seats and lighting.

Proposals are also being developed for removing inappropriate fencing, and widening the cyclepath, as part of the wider Riverside Valley Park improvements which were developed from the public consultation held in 2003-4.

The cost of the cycleway and lighting are to be funded by Sustrans and Devon County Council. Exeter City Council has approved a budget of £130,000 for the rest of the improvements.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Our Maritime Heritage

The Northern Territory’s maritime heritage extends to all human activities connected to the sea and in some cases to inland waters and river systems. It includes places, buildings (such as custom houses), structures (such as lighthouses, jetties and wharfs) as well as shipwrecks, aircraft wrecks (in the sea), sites of maritime industry, objects, stories, archival records (about maritime matters) beliefs, meanings, artworks (maritime rock art) and numerous uses of the sea.

The Northern Territory has a rich, diverse and interesting maritime history which began with the arrival of Indigenous Australians some 60,000 years ago. It includes Australia’s first maritime industry, the ‘trepang trade’, introduced by the ‘ Macassans’ (the 18th and 19th century monsoon traders of Indonesia), who first visited our shores (c.1700-1907) before European occupation (1788) to collect marine products which were traded as far as China.

Maritime heritage is an important part of our identity. Other activities associated with the sea, other than trade include fishing, pearling, shipping, underwater communication cables, military campaigns (WWII), immigration, refugees (the American war in Vietnam) and tourism. All of these have helped shape our identity and locate us firmly in our region.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Ancient heritage, modern society

Before the arrival of European settlers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples inhabited most areas of the Australian continent. They spoke one or more of hundreds of separate languages and dialects, and their lifestyles and cultural traditions differed from region to region. Their complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflect a deep connection with the land.

Asian and Oceanic mariners and traders were in contact with Indigenous Australians for many centuries before the era of European expansion. Some formed substantial relationships with communities in northern Australia.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Seat Belt Use at Record Level in 2008

More Americans are buckling up than ever before, Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said Sept. 17. In 2008, 83 percent of all vehicle occupants are using seat belts during daylight hours — up from 82 percent in 2007, according to NHTSA. “We have seen seat belt use rising steadily every year and that means more and more lives are being saved and countless serious injuries prevented,” said Peters. NHTSA estimates approximately 270 lives are saved for every one percent increase in belt use.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Industrial, Aerospace, and Marine Painting

The GSA Schedule 03 FAC offers a wide range of services for surface preparation and application of chemical compounds. The applications may be used on federal equipment, machinery, ships, aircraft, and vehicles. Please note that this does not include passenger cars, trucks, or buses.

Surface Preparation:

Services related to the preparation for application of chemical compounds and support training/consultation services as they pertain to preparation for and could include, but are not limited to:

* Abrasive air, wet, micro or wheel blasting;
* Vibratory and mass finishing;
* Shot peening;
* Lapping and grinding;
* Drag or high energy barrel finishing;
* Mechanical scarification;
* Acid etching;
* Ultrasonic.

Application of Chemical Compounds:

These services include painting and sealant application on ships, aircraft, vehicles and other equipment or machinery surface that requires application of chemical compound, such as paint, sealant, coatings, or adhesives. These services could include, but are not limited to:

* Bridge painting;
* Electrostatic painting;
* Engineering structure (e.g., oil storage tank, water tower) painting;
* Aluminum coating;
* Bonderizing, chasing, enameling, enameling, etching, flocking, galvanizing;
* Glazing, hot dip galvanizing, japanning, lacquering, parkerizing;
* Powder coating, rust proofing, sherardizing, or varnishing.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Identifying Arts and Crafts Made by Alaska Natives

Any item produced after 1935 that is marketed with terms like "Indian, "Native American," or "Alaska Native" must have been made by a member of a state or federally-recognized tribe or a certified non-member Indian artisan. That’s the law.
A certified Indian artisan is an individual certified by the governing body of the tribe of his or her descent as a non-member Indian artisan.

For example, it would violate the law to advertise products as "Inupiaq Carvings" if the products were produced by someone who isn’t a member of the Inupiaq tribe or certified in writing by the tribal governing body as a non-member Alaska Native artisan of the Inupiaq people.

Qualifiers like "ancestry," "descent," and "heritage" - used in connection with the terms "Indian," "Alaska Native," or the name of a particular Indian tribe - do not mean that the craftsperson is a member of an Indian tribe or certified by a tribe. For example, "Native American heritage" or "Yupik descent" would mean that the artist is of descent, heritage' or ancestry of the tribe. These terms may be used only if they are truthful.