For years, Cover Day was an informal tradition marking the changing of seasons for the U.S. Brig Niagara. As autumn faded, the ship’s rigging and spars were carefully stowed away, and the brig's expert crew and dedicated volunteers, worked together to cover the ship...
If you haven’t read Part 1, I encourage you to start there. Part 1 introduces the report and details my first-hand observations of two instances where PHMC staff exhibited the same behaviors in 2021 as decried by the Auditor General in 2010. Part 2 (this article) will...
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General expressed deep concerns over PHMC’s handling of artifacts. The report’s opening letter to Gov Ed Rendell states, “Our auditors found an environment of lax oversight and accountability that is conducive to theft and...
A Fact Check on Site Administrator Jim Hall's comments as recorded in “Ryan Cook’s Meeting Notes” (a document first shared in “Shipwrecked by Command!”) In August 2021, Erie Maritime Museum Site Administrator Jim Hall sat down with Niagara Volunteer Council (NVC)...
The blog post “Shipwrecked by Command! How PHMC Cast Away its Volunteers” includes several documents from our Right to Know Requests. We felt those documents deserved additional context, but including it in the piece focused on volunteers did not feel like the right...
You didn’t get caught by that April Fools header, did you? PHMC hasn’t even posted a job description for Niagara Captain. At the Jan. 4th & 5th private volunteer informational sessions, volunteers expressed concerns that a transition plan wasn’t put into place for...
On Feb 7, 2024, a PHMC commissioner graciously sat down with a handful of volunteers. Here are the questions, answers, and discussions we had. And… here’s an offer from PHMC’s Director of External Affairs that came about as a direct result of that meeting. (You’ll...
Well, PHMC has finally managed to get one of the Niagara jobs posted. And it’s a doozey! Shipwright, Engineer, Able-Bodied Seafarer, Volunteer Wrangler, Project Planner… the list of duties seems to cross all departments without regard for practicality or feasibility....
Our petition work is ongoing but on the surface it may appear a bit quieter. We are busy meeting with relevant parties and gathering resources. We are still hard at work, but as stated in the last update, we’ve got to stop feeding PHMC what their job duties are and...
After reaching 1,000 petition signatures we delivered the petition to Rep. Pat Harkins, Sen. Dan Laughlin, and the Governor’s local representative, Mike Ferritto, asking them to call for a public forum on Niagara. We also shared the petition and request for a public...
This petition demands a public meeting to discuss PHMC and the Erie Maritime Museum’s plans and ability to maintain the U.S. Brig Niagara. The recent winter weather has brought volunteer concerns to life. We asked what happens if a storm rips the cover, or a seiche...
Dear Niagara petition signers, We are still without a public meeting on Niagara’s future. It is time to take further steps. Andrea Lowery, Executive Director of PHMC, responded to our formal letter but made no mention of our primary request for a public forum....
Thank you for supporting the US Brig Niagara. Your signature lets this state agency and our lawmakers know that many people care, are invested, and are watching. And, that we will use our voices to ensure we have transparency and accountability for Niagara's...