AAPA Elects Cordero as Board Chairman
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has elected Mario Cordero, executive director of California’s Port of Long Beach, to serve as the association’s next Chairman of the Board.Cordero will be installed as Chairman on the final day of AAPA’s 2020 Annual Convention, set for September 13-16, in Québec City, QC, Canada. He will assume the AAPA chairmanship from Gary G. Nelson, executive director of Washington State’s Port of Grays Harbor, who began his term on October 15…
25 Ports Win AAPA’s Comms Competition
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) will recognize 25 seaports for exemplary communications projects and programs at its annual convention and awards luncheon this fall. Winning entrants in AAPA’s 50th annual Communications Awards Program will be recognized at an Oct. 26 awards luncheon in conjunction with AAPA’s 105th Annual Convention and Expo in New Orleans, which runs Oct. 23-26. The recipients of the 2016 Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophies - the top awards in AAPA's Communications Awards Program - are Port Everglades in Florida (Category 3); St. John's Port Authority in Newfoundland and Labrador (Category 2); and the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington (Category 3).
Port Closures for All of Pacific Northwest Entrances
The Coast Guard's two Captains of the Port have closed all maritime entrances in the Pacific Northwest, Friday, due to severe sea conditions and large amounts of debris in the water. In Oregon, the ports of Chetco River in Brookings; Coos Bay; Umpqua River in Winchester Bay; Siuslaw River in Florence; Yaquina Bay in Newport; Depoe Bay; Tillamook Bay in Girabaldi; and the Columbia River are closed to all traffic. In Washington the port of Grays Harbor in Westport; and Quillayute River in LaPush are closed. Several storms carrying strong winds and heavy rainfall crossed the Pacific Northwest over the last week and have caused flooding and landslides in parts of Oregon and Washington.
4th cycle of SR 520 pontoons completed in Aberdeen
Another six State Route 520 bridge pontoons began floating out of the Aberdeen casting basin late Tuesday night, April 15, marking completion of the fourth of six cycles of pontoons being built in Grays Harbor. “With the fourth cycle complete, we’ve reached another important milestone for a new SR 520 floating bridge,” said Julie Meredith, SR 520 program director for the Washington State Department of Transportation. “We’re now two-thirds of the way done with all pontoon construction. The fourth cycle of pontoon construction included four longitudinal pontoons and two supplemental stability pontoons. The 360-foot-long longitudinal pontoons will form the backbone of the new bridge, while the smaller, supplemental pontoons provide additional stability and flotation.
22 Seaports to Receive AAPA Awards
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a trade group representing port authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere, has selected 22 seaports to be recognized for exemplary projects, programs and initiatives at its annual awards event later this summer. The awards, for achievements in facilities engineering, environmental improvement, information technology and communications, will be presented to winning ports at a Sept. 14 luncheon in conjunction with AAPA's 100th Annual Convention in Seattle (https://www.aapa2011.org/main.aspx), which runs Sept. 11-15. * the Port of Long Beach, winner of the 2011 Dan Maynard Communications Award for Overall Excellence, which is bestowed on the port earning the most award points in AAPA's Communications Awards Program competition.
$30m for Washington State Port Security
April 8, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Washington state ports will receive $30.3m for port security efforts across the state this year. The funds, which will now begin to be distributed to state ports, will go toward infrastructure security improvements including chemical detectors, cameras, security gates, access controls, and training and exercises. “As we work to stabilize our economy and spur investment in Washington state, it is critically important that our ports remain secure and open for business,” Senator Murray said. The funding for these grants was included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Port Security Grant Program.
$29m in Grants for Port Security in Washington
The funding for these grants was included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Senator Murray, a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and a national leader on port security, fought to include $400 million for this grant program nationwide. The funding included in the bill will be distributed to the following ports: Puget Sound (Ports of Seattle and Tacoma): $27,263,241; Port of Grays Harbor, WA: $178,026; Washington State Ferries: $2,002,785.
Governor Announces First Innovation Partnership Zones
Governor Chris Gregoire announced the designation of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones in Washington, geographic areas that will promote and develop the state’s regional economies. Innovation Partnership Zones build on the success around the world of “research parks,” such as the Research Triangle in North Carolina and Torrey Pines in California and bring together research and higher education opportunities, innovation and economic activity to be a strong engine for regional economies. “Washington is home to some of the greatest innovations in the world and I am excited to support the continued success of our state’s world-class companies,” said Governor Gregoire.
