BY PATRICK BURNSON
The Port of Oakland has joined the International Maritime Center (IMC) to unveil a tribute to mariners. The new, abstract sculpture Sea Remembrance was installed in January next to the IMC facility at Port View Park. The IMC is a nonprofit organization that supports seafarers passing through the Bay Area.
“Seafarers make costly sacrifices being away from home at sea for months at a time,” said Captain Margaret Reasoner with the local IMC chapter. “The sculpture honors them for their hard work and perseverance, and serves as a memorial for the mariners who gave their life at sea.”
Captain Reasoner enlisted sculptor James Allen King to create the sculpture. King, a member of the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, is also an experienced mariner. As a bosun, King oversees the team that maintains the ship’s rigging, anchors, cables and everything else on deck that keeps a vessel running smoothly. King draws inspiration for his art from the sea.
The artist donated all the time he expended in creating the sculpture; volunteers from California State University Maritime Academy and the Clean Living Learning Center helped create the foundation for the sculpture; and donations are being collected to cover final expenses.
Thousands of men and women work the ships that cross the world’s oceans to deliver goods from one country to the next. Captain Reasoner said she hopes the sculpture will make mariners feel welcome in the Bay Area. Sea Remembrance is located outside the IMC at 4001 7th Street in Oakland. It can be seen when the IMC is open.
As longtime Bay Crossings readers know, the IMC, in coordination with the Seafarers Ministry of the Golden Gate, services thousands of seafarers who come through its facility each year. This column recognizes the IMC’s charitable efforts every holiday season.
Located at the Port of Oakland, the center hosts a sanctuary for mariners to use as their home away from home. Services include counseling, meals, recreation, transportation, internet connections and phone cards. The IMC at the Oakland Seaport is rated one of the top three centers in the world. To learn more about the IMC, call (510) 839-2226 or visit the facilities in Oakland.
PTA Celebrates 100 Years
Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Bay Crossings is the 100th anniversary of the Pacific Transportation Association (PTA), which has been a robust voice for the Bay Area trade and transportation industry—and still is.
Founded in San Francisco in 1920, when the port was one of the key cargo destinations on the U.S. West Coast, the PTA remains the largest transportation association on the Pacific Rim and is regarded as one of the leading traffic clubs in the country.
The group’s mission is to promote understanding and cooperation between carriers, shippers and the communities they serve. PTA programs support a vibrant maritime industry to maintain vital transport services, train a new generation of mariners, advance environmental stewardship and foster global trade.
Membership has been driven by the several educational and networking events the PTA hosts each year to keep shippers informed and connected. The PTA also supports local and national efforts to maintain and expand the San Francisco Bay Area’s role as a crossroads of global trade.
This year will continue with the same pace of rapid change—one that is fundamentally transforming supply chains, partnerships, and business processes. The PTA will offer several social and informational events this year, including its annual “Ports & Terminals” luncheon featuring the maritime directors from the ports of Oakland and San Francisco.
Membership dues along with continued participation enable the PTA to provide a platform for networking and educational forums. PTA membership is open to shippers, carriers, equipment and other service providers, government and academic organizations, college students and all other interested individuals.
| For more information, see pacifictrans.org/join.php. |
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