|
Efforts to restore and operate the Glacier, the largest icebreaking
ship of its time, will be described by Bernard G. "Ben"
Koether at the Weston Kiwanis Club's weekly meeting Saturday, March
9, at the Norfield Congregational Church parish hall, Norfield Road,
Weston.
The public is invited to attend the talk, which will begin at 9:30
a.m.
Mr. Koether, a Westport resident, is chairman of the Glacier Society,
a non-profit educational foundation formed in 1998 to restore and
operate the ship as a resource in scientific and environmental education
and research for the benefit of the public.
The Glacier, built in the early 1950s, was commissioned as a U.S.
Navy vessel in 1955 and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1966.
When it was moved to the inactive reserve fleet in 1987, the ship
had made 29 trips to the Antarctic and 10 to the Arctic, sailing
more than 944,000 miles in its 32 years of service.
Ownership of the venerable icebreaker was transferred by federal
legislation to the Glacier Society in 2000 and it is now berthed
in Bridgeport, where the society is headquartered.
Mr. Koether, who served as the Glacier's navigator from 1959 to
1961, was instrumental in establishing the society. Professionally,
he is chairman and chief operating officer of Food Automation-Service
Techniques, Inc., of Stratford, a leading supplier of digital appliance
technology to major fast food chains around the world.
The Weston Kiwanis Club sponsors various programs and events to
raise funds for local organizations whose activities benefit the
community at large. The club also provides information on topics
of interest to residents through guest speakers on a wide variety
of subjects.
Anyone interested in inquiring about joining is invited to contact
Mark Whidden, membership chairman at 454-0739.
# # #
|
