17 JUNE 2010
Reference the CG Authorization Bill.
"We are working to reconcile now but probably won't finish until late July or early September. There are a number of challenges we need to address."
This was received a few days ago from the Commerce Committee
10 JUNE 2010
The ways of Congress are sometimes mysterious and often slow. The pending legislative authorization to transfer the USCG Cutter STORIS to the “Storis Museum” in Juneau, Alaska appears to be moving forward. Congress is at work to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill, which includes a provision that would transfer the STORIS. The provision is found at Sec. 906 of the Senate bill and will likely be adopted by the committee working to reconcile the legislation. There is no opposition to Sec. 906 in the Congress or the administration.
The projected new home for STORIS when she commences her career as a museum moved closer to reality as a result of action by the Alaska Legislature. The Alaska Legislature appropriated $10,000,000.00 to the City and Borough of Juneau as part of a waterfront reconstruction proposal. Juneau, through the Port of Juneau is getting ready to undertake a significant reconstruction of existing waterfront facilities, including two new cruise passengers wharfs and a dock for the Storis Museum. The initial drawings for this waterfront restoration and development plan in Juneau are shown on the Storis Museum website. Downloads (Latest Proposed Docking Drawing for STORIS in Juneau. (30 Sep 09))
The recent funding for the cruise ship wharfs on the Juneau waterfront was the last piece of the puzzle that will allow this project to go forward. The City and Borough of Juneau has instructed the Port of Juneau to commence active work towards realizing the new waterfront facilities, including a new home for the STORIS.
The Port Director for Juneau and the Docks and Harbors Board has been consistent advocates for basing the Storis Museum in Juneau. The Port Director has also been instrumental in finding a suitable place for the 3"/50 caliber gun, that recently arrived in Juneau, on the Juneau waterfront until we relocate the gun aboard the STORIS. In the interim, the gun will be used as a monument to the STORIS and used to illustrate where the STORIS will be located in the future. The gun will also be used as a memorial to the “Sullivan Brothers” and the entire crew of the first USS JUNEAU as that warship used 3"/50 caliber guns as part of the vessel's weapon compliment when the ship was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1942 during the campaign in the Solomon Islands.
9 Feb 2010
This is the first update to this page since Sept 2009. A few things have been going on but not much action in Congress. Please take the time to read this page and also the new pages just added (Artifacts and Memorial).
CG Authorization Bill HR-3619 (House)
23 Oct 09 Passed by a vote of 385 – 11
26 Oct 09 Received in Senate
2 Nov 09 Read twice in senate and placed on the calendar
CG Authorization Bill S.1194 (Senate)
30 Oct 09 Passed the Commerce Committee
30 Oct 09 Placed on the Senate calendar
Both bills are currently awaiting Senate action. This action should be to combine the bills and pass in the Senate then sent back to the House for a vote.
On 3 January 2010, I received the following from a contact in Washington. “Not much to report. Several members are holding up the bill. Senator Cantwell will have to push for a floor vote to secure passage. Hopefully we can pass a bill in the coming months but it may be difficult.”
On 24 January 2010, I received the following information from Juneau. “The Coast Guard Authorization Bill has got to pass someday and we’re in it. While I appreciate your interest in moving things along quickly, I think we’ll find ourselves in the “hurry up and wait” situation if the vessel shows up in Juneau before 2014. The Port is seeking funding from the legislature this session to start the engineering studies for the Port expansion project that calls for accommodating the STORIS. But, the earliest a berth will be available is 2014.”
Let me inject a personnel note here. I have been in touch with the granddaughter of LCDR Frederick Barton Hunt, USCGR who is listed as LT F. B. Hunt, Commanding Officer, USCGC STORIS, WAG-38 during the period 1945-1946. She has typed a copy of his diary which covers the period 1 March 1946 to 21 June 1946 when he commanded the USCGC TULIP on her voyage from New York to be turned over to the Philippine Government in Manila. Reading this diary and knowing that she is currently working on typing his diary from his time on STORIS has further peaked my interest in procuring STORIS and making her into a museum.
As you have all noted from the above, the last information I have from Alaska says they will not be ready to receive STORIS until 2014. This was extremely discouraging until I started to read about LCDR Hunt and heard about his diary from STORIS. Now I am more determined than ever to insure that STORIS returns to Juneau and is made into a first class maritime museum so that information like this can be found and saved. We need to retain this history and find more history on STORIS, Coast Guard, Lighthouse Service, and the maritime activities of Alaska before it is lost. I don’t think that the Coast Guard Historian has seen the diary that I am reading let alone the one on STORIS.
On the positive side this will give us time to do the right things before opening the ship as the STORIS Museum for the tourist season in Juneau in May, 2014. After talking with several museums and the companies that put together the history and videos, three years is not a long time for gathering the data we will need.
We have been told that there will be money put aside this year to start work on a video presentation of the history of STORIS. In addition we want to get started on a video of U. S. Coast Guard, Lighthouse Service, and U. S. Revenue Cutter Service in Alaskan waters this year. The gathering of information to put this video together will take two to three years. It must be done right and must be extremely accurate and ready for opening day of the STORIS Museum in May 2014.
