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The Port of Baltimore
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March/April 201 2
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OUTREACH
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New Chaplain Called to
Seafarers’ Center
T
he Baltimore International
Seafarers’ Center has welcomed
a new chaplain to help serve
seafarers arriving at the Port of Baltimore.
The addition of Lutheran Pastor Gerry
Rickel in early January expanded the
Center’s outreach, according to the Rev.
Mary Davisson. “We are delighted that
Seafarers’ & International House (NY)
is funding Gerry’s half-time work with
us,” said Davisson, the Center’s Director
since 2005. “Our shared ecumenical port
coverage by volunteers and pastors now
includes three full-day ship visitors most
weekdays, and one most weeknights and
Saturdays.”
Since its founding in 1993 by the
Rev. Ed Munro, the Locust Point-based
Seafarers’ Center has provided basic
conveniences and services — such as
transportation, emergency assistance,
phone and Skype call access, and ship
visitation — to commercial ship workers
docked at the Port. The new chaplain’s
arrival has enabled the Center to further
its mission of welcoming, serving and
advocating for the city’s seafarers.
AWARDS
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Dundalk Organization
Honors Port as “Anchor”
T
he Port of Baltimore was recently singled out
as “Renaissance Anchor of the Year” during an
awards ceremony organized by the Dundalk
Renaissance Corporation (DRC).
During a dinner at the Sparrows Point Country
Club in March, the DRC saluted the Port’s public
and private sector contributors — particularly the
Maryland Port Administration (MPA) and Baltimore
Port Alliance — for being “an economic engine that
supports the present and future growth of our community while working closely with the
community to seek input, create partnerships and ensure environmental sustainability.”
Also honored with 2012 Renaissance Milestone Awards were community leaders
Gloria Nelson, John Long and Joe Falbo. Nelson was cited for strengthening the
neighborhood of Turners Station, Long for spearheading the cleanup of historic Bread
and Cheese Creek, and Falbo for working along with the Heritage Association of
Dundalk to make the annual Dundalk Heritage Fair a success.
SHIPPING
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ACL Starts RO/RO Service
to Russia and Finland
A
tlantic Container Line (ACL) introduced
a weekly Roll-On/Roll-Off (RO/RO)
service from the United States and
Canada to Russia and Finland in February.
The service uses ACL’s transatlantic vessels
and Finnlines’ ice-class Baltic vessels. Both
companies are owned by the Grimaldi Group.
The company said it will be the fastest and
most frequent service available.
“Our customers have been asking us for
a better Baltic Sea connection for quite some
time,” said Andrew J. Abbott, ACL’s President
and CEO. “This new service gives ACL another
niche where we can do something better than
anybody else. Finnlines is our sister company,
so we will have complete control of the cargo
all the way to its Baltic destination. Our transit
times, frequency, reliability and customer
service are the best available.”
Soundings
OUTREACH
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BPA Builds a
Big Following
J
ust how many people
are impacted by
Baltimore Port Alliance
(BPA) education and outreach
programs? According to the
BPA, which is a nonprofit
group of maritime business
leaders, in 2011:
❯
10,508
people
toured dredged material
containment facilities
❯
1,741
people participated
in education and community
programs at the Masonville
Cove Environmental
Education Center
❯
1,190
people toured the
Port of Baltimore or partici-
pated in a career day activity
❯
427
people planted
grasses at Poplar Island and
Masonville.
KATHY BERGREN SMITH
Awards were accepted in March by MPA
Deputy Executive Director M. Kathleen
Broadwater and Capt. Eric Nielsen representing
the Baltimore Port Alliance.