NTA, LA Waterfront, Candy Machine, Crew Meeting, and Upcoming Posts!

The New Year is off to a solid and exciting start.  The crew is working on our goals for this year as outlined in previous blog posts.  Our two boards are hard at work preparing presentation plans, arranging fundraising meetings, and working towards achieving our goals.

As I write this post, I am on a plane to New Orleans for the National Tour Association conference.  We have numerous meetings with tour operators arranged and will be attending events that include our friends at TourismCares and Visit California.  In addition, we will be visiting the WW2 Museum to view the wonderful work that they have accomplished.  I believe the WW2 and Marine Corps museum has set a high standard to achieve.  We will strive to reach this level in the future and this will take both focus and fundraising to make this a reality.

A large part of our goals coming true is the successful redevelopment of the LA Waterfront.  The past couple of weeks have had a flurry of activity throughout the community.  Our friend, Councilman Joe Buscaino has shown his leadership in the redevelopment with the announcement of the Rancho San Pedro redevelopment feasibility study and his desire to see a vibrant waterfront.  I give kudos to Gene Seroka and the Port of Los Angeles for taking the initiative to present a plan of infrastructure funding to the community.  These are both enormous steps in the right direction.

A successful and vibrant waterfront will require numerous partnerships and relationships to make it a reality.  We value our relationships with our local community and business partners.  On or about March 1st we will be releasing the LA Waterfront Passport program, which provides discounts and admission to our local attractions for one low price.  The community is excited about this innovative package and we are proud to participate in this program.

As we begin the steps towards creating a world class museum, we will be focusing on numerous facets of organization development.  Part of the process is board development and fundraising.  I have to commend Barry Herlihy, Stan Sato, and the rest of our crew and loyal supporter for the recent strong showing on the deck repair campaign.  We have exceeded our goal and continue to reach for the $20,000 number to restore the aft quarterdeck and hopefully a few additional areas requiring repair.  Way to go team!

1980's Candy Machine.  Photo by Derek Cross

Last weekend the crew once again showed its strong team work.  Josh Stutz, Derek Cross, and Stan Sato came together to locate, purchase, pick-up, and install a 1980's era candy machine on the 2nd deck forward of the galley.  This machine is a very close match to the original machine and it is an awesome addition to the collection.  Thank you guys for going above and beyond in the acquisition of this important item.

On Tuesday, January 13th, we had our quarterly crew meeting in the Ward Room.  The management team discussed the 2015 goals and objectives and highlighted the 2014 accomplishments.  We are excited about the direction we are going and are already in the early stages of raising the funds necessary to accomplish this years goals.  For those that have already contributed, thank you!  If you are interested in participating in one of our future fundraising programs, please let us know at development@labattleship.com.

Slides from January 13, 2015 Crew Meeting

In August of 2015, we will welcome home three different decades of USS Iowa veterans and their families.  We are always excited to welcome them home and we will strive to give them a fun and fulfilling experience.

We started working with HNSA (Historic Naval Ships Association) management to plan the annual HNSA conference in San Pedro this year.  We are very excited to host our sister ships crew and have them experience our local community and passion of the IOWA crew.  We will most likely host 3 days of intense focused sessions on important topics for the future of the industry and close out the conference with a banquet.  We are proud to be the host of this years event and look forward to showing off the Battleship IOWA Museum and the LA Waterfront.

In closing, I want to thank the entire crew for everything they do.  These are men and women of an extraordinary desire to tell the IOWA story and be involved in something great and exciting.  Please thanks these folks when you have a chance for the selfless acts to preserve our history.

Please check back soon, as I will be posting some pictures and stories of the WWII Museum, USS Alabama, USS Kidd, and the NTA Conference over the next week.

New Year, 2015 Goals, 2015 Public Events, and a Great Close to 2014!

The New Year begins and so does a fresh slate of mission driven goals.  We are excited about what the future holds for is as a unique platform for education, tourism, and activities.  In fact, our 2015 core goals are primarily focused on these three items.

Every December, the leadership team gathers to discuss what our primary objectives for the following year will be.  The objectives generally fall within the predefined role of our overall 5 year capital improvement goals as approved by the Board of Directors.  We also review our previous year crew feedback, actual critical needs, and our customer reviews to determine the best possible next steps.

New Years Eve at the Battleship IOWA.  The final close to 2014!

This coming year will have a focus on fundraising and implementation of:

• Public & Youth Education programs to engage our visitors, community, and students in an authentic hands on experience at the IOWA.
• Tour & Museum improvements that are interactive and enjoyable for guests of all ages.  A few specific projects are the IOWA Veterans Association exhibit, 2nd deck expansion, Wardroom movie, aviation and missile exhibit.
• Ship Maintenance, Preservation, and Refurbishment that include aft quarterdeck wood replacement, possible waterline work, and electrical infrastructure.
   

As you can see, we have an exciting 2015 ahead of us.  We will need everyone's assistance in pulling off these goals, so please consider how you may be able to contribute.

Where's Vicky???

We had a great holiday season at the IOWA!  Our attendance was stabilized, our Events team pulled off a couple of great programs, our OPS team completed Camp Battleship, our Tour team accommodating the increase in kids and guests, and our Security team provided a safe experience.  There are many unsung heroes behind the scenes that include ticketing, accounting, administration, volunteer services, donors, and many others that deserve recognition.  Please thank these folks for there service when you see them.

Our stabilized attendance is enormous progress for us.  As many of you know, we have had the typical second year blues for most for most of 2014.  To see our attendance finally stabilize and now start building on is a sign of relief and forward progress as an institution.  The number of families and children that visited during the holiday season was noticeably higher in comparison to earlier in the year.  Key to our future success will include engaging programs and services for all of our guests to enjoy.

The Security Team hard at work shoveling dirt for the trench.

During the holiday season the everyday work of operating Battleship IOWA continued.  The crew worked on closing out the Camp Battleship program including filling in the trench for the fire line.  Even the security team stepped in and helped shovel the dirt and a nice change of pace for me personally to operate the track loader during the work.  I am proud of the tremendous effort and teamwork that the crew put into bringing Camp Battleship and the heads alive by the end of 2014.

The recent storms tore up many of our tents and awnings.  It also caused a temporary down period with our gunnery video on the side of Turret 1 (it is now up and running again). But the awnings are still missing.  We are hoping to get those fixed sooner then later and could use some funding assistance to repair these.

Our education programs are actively in development with a focus on youth and public education.  Our core youth education programs include Victory STEAM Field Trip Program, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV's), and Camp Battleship Overnight program.  The public education experience will include enhanced exhibits and tour improvements to create a innovative hands on experience.

With the strong youth attendance, we will focus on providing more engaging hands on activities for our guests throughout the future.  As a hint of our direction, we will be combining the natural STEAM activities and history on board to create a hands on experience.  We are excited about the opportunity to serve our community and advance our mission!

The wonderful job the ship's carpenter performed on bringing
back the deck on the Signal Bridge during 2014.  More to come
in 2015 with our deck restoration campaign!

Of course, the regular maintenance will be required to keep the entire operation progressing.  We are focused on raising funds and working on decks, hull and waterline, and preservation / restoration.  A major goal for us in the future is raising the necessary restoration capital over the next couple of years and are looking at numerous opportunities and resources.  Our recent deck fundraising campaign for the aft quarterdeck has raised over $15,000 as of January 5, 2015.  To participate in this campaign, please click here or donate on our website at http://www.pacificbattleship.com.

We have received a lot of assistance in participation by our crew and loyal supporters in marketing the Battleship IOWA museum.  The new posters have arrived with the purpose of our supporting businesses and individuals to show their pride in our veterans and Battleship IOWA museum.  Please feel free to pick up posters to distribute at our ticketing booth or in the tour office.  In addition to the posters, we will continue our BOGO campaign into 2015.  We encourage everyone to grab a handful and handout and/or place at local retailers, restaurants, clubs, buildings, businesses, etc.  Help us spread the word of the importance of the IOWA to the community.

Our first community outreach program of the
year is the Battleship IOWA Blood Drive.

Our 2015 public events calendar has been released at http://www.pacificbattleship.com/page/eventcalendar.  A new addition for 2015 is our popular Movie & Music Under programs in partnership with community performers and sponsors.  This is part of our public outreach program to increase engagement with the community and strengthen our community relationships.  Please consider attending or sponsoring one of these fun events on board the IOWA.  For more information or to sponsor, please email tcaleca@labattleship.com.

In addition to our public programs, we also will once again offer the "Curator Tour" beginning again in February 2015.  This special tour is led by David Way, IOWA's curator and includes lunch, conversation, and areas off of the normal tour route.  It is an exciting behind the scenes opportunity not usually offered to the public.  For more information, visit our website at http://www.pacificbattleship.com.

In closing, I would like to personally thank our entire crew and supporters for a wild ride since the award of the ship in 2011.  Each and everyone of you have played an important role in the history of our beloved battleship.  Your pride, perseverance, dedication, and contributions are tremendous and has shown what it means to be a proud patriot.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do!

Stan Sato's 2014 Annual Carpenter Review is Now Available

Stan Sato's 2014 Annual Carpenter Review is Now Available February - deck refinishing 03 starboard Before/After Click Here to Download

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to our proud crew, supporters, and donors.  As we reflect on the previous year, we are thankful for the dedication and perseverance of the many people that have brought the dream of the Battleship IOWA alive.  We remember the sacrifices of our troops that continue to provide us the freedom we enjoy daily and our veterans that continue to deal with a lifetime of memories from their service.  With the assistance of our partners, we will continue to focus the future of the LA Waterfront and the long-term viability of our great museum.  In closing, please keep our friends & families that are dealing with life challenges in your thoughts during this holiday season.

Happy Holidays, Camp Battleship, Annual Contributions, and Thank You!

Happy Holidays to all of our crew, donors, and supporters!  We have a lot to be thankful in 2014, especially another year at the Battleship IOWA under our belt.  We have been open in Los Angeles about two and a half years at this point and have overcome many challenges.  We will continue to focus on being a positive contribution to our local community, a hub for veterans activities, and a family education museum destination.

LA Waterfront with Battleship IOWA
in the background.

Recently, the Port of Los Angeles committed to spending $50 million on the Ports O' Call infrastructure and began the process to allocate an annual amount towards Waterfront development.  This is a positive step forward as we feel it is necessary to establish a destination at the LA Waterfront to provide the Battleship IOWA a stable foundation to grow on.  We appreciate their positive step forward in establishing a world class destination.

The Broadside team recently sent out the October / November newsletter for our crew.  I only receive a small cross section of activities that occur on the ship daily and after reading the Broadside, I have an enormous appreciation for the entire crew.  The amount of effort and dedication that the crew continues to exhibit is absolutely incredible.  A special thank you to the Broadside team for contributing the numerous hours necessary to publish valuable information.  If you are not currently a crew member, please sign up at http://www.pacificbattleship.com/page/volunteer.

I was blessed to be able to join our crew in the Wardroom this past week for our holiday luncheon.  Our volunteer team assembled a great spread and numerous crew members chipped in to make the event a great success.  A special thank you to Sue Schmidt for always taking the lead on these events.  It is a difficult job and she always takes it on with passion and commitment.  I would also like to thank Chris Nelson for always taking on tasks that need to be accomplished regardless of what department it is in.  I peaked in the galley during the crew event and Chris was busy preparing additional dishes while everyone else was eating.  His commitment as a 7 day per week volunteer is commendable.

A fun letter we received from
a recent 5th grader.

2015 will be another great year at the Battleship IOWA.  We will be focused on museum & tour development, education programs, and rotating to maintenance.  As we speak, our Board of Directors is working on strategies and opportunities to raise the capital necessary for both accessibility, safety, and critical maintenance items.  The management team has began to rotate from the 2014 goals into our next major projects including the USS Iowa Veterans Exhibit, second deck expansion, missile deck interpretation, kids engagement, education programming, and a long-term maintenance plan.

In 2013 & 2014, we had numerous donors including ARUP, Engineering Contractors Association, Laborers Union, and Shultz Steel that helped in installing approximately $500k to $750k in water, sewer, and fire water infrastructure.  We are forever appreciative to these great entities for helping our museum continue progress forward.  Of course, the ship maintenance and infrastructure would not be possible without our great Operations team.  Thank you to them for their hard work.

We have one more major piece of infrastructure to get installed - shore power.  We have been negotiating with the Port of Los Angeles for over a year to come up with a new lease that will cover the power infrastructure.  We are hoping that these negotiations will finalize with a mutual agreement within the next month.  We have a critical AQMD date to achieve of March 31, 2015 and we continue to strive to reach this date.

Camp Battleship is now open!

Our first Camp Battleship evening occurred on December 13th.  The initial feedback we have received is very positive.  The Camp Battleship team gave the kids a great evening that was fun filled and I heard the food was excellent.  The tour guides were excellent in engaging the kids and making it a great time.  Our tour team is the main reason we continue to rate high on review sites!

We have received a lot of interest in the Camp Battleship program for 2015, with dates booking fast.  If you have friends or family interested in the program, please refer them to our website at http://www.pacificbattleship.com.  This program would not be possible without our dedicated donors led by the Crail-Johnson Foundation.  For more information on the program, please go to http://www.pacificbattleship.com/page/campbattleship.

We have continued our focus on fundraising and board development over the recent months.  We have a few new board and trustee members that bring the organization a depth of experience.  We welcome our newest board member Dan Kehl to the organization.  Dan is a recognized leader in the State of Iowa and has been a major contributor to our organization since the award of the ship.  He will assist in the growth and fundraising with the organization.  Our new trustee board members are Bruce MacCrae, Donne Moen, Scott Palmer, and Wayne Ratkovich.  All of these gentlemen are local leaders in their respective fields and are committed to the organization and future development.  We continue to setup meetings with potential board members and donors to extend our network.  2015 will be a strong year in fundraising development.

It is the time of the year when many of us think of our annual contributions.  We encourage you to consider the Pacific Battleship Center as part of your family giving program.  Numerous donors participate in our different programs, but a special thank you to Heyday Fitness and the Whitney Young Children's Foundation for their recent contributions.  Please visit http://www.pacificbattleship.com/page/donate to participate.

As part of our long term fundraising strategy, we have recently implemented Salesforce.  Our IT team has been focused on this implementation for the past 12 months and this is great progress in having a stronger data management system.   We appreciate our crew, donors, and supporters for being patient during our data stabilization period.  It has been a challenge, but we are much closer to having a well refined management system.

"Movies Under the Guns" showing of
the Grinch.

2015 will be a fun year for events including Music Under the Guns, Movies Under the Guns, American Holiday Festivals, and partnerships with regional non-profits to further strengthen our relationship with the community.  Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date and follow us on our Facebook for frequent information.

Our sales & marketing team has been expanded with volunteers that are dedicated to supporting us.  This is the first time since we started that I feel we have a focused diverse team that take on our core markets of veterans and families.  I am excited with what we are seeing from this core group of people and we all look forward to a successful New Year.

In closing, our board of directors and management team wish you and your family a Happy Holidays.  This is the season to enjoy time with your family and reflect on the many things we are grateful for.  Please keep our troops, their families, and those struggling in our thoughts and prayers during this season.  Thank you again for being a loyal supporter!

Family fun playing Victory the Dog.  2015 will expand on Victory
with a STEAM introduction field trip program.

Statement on the Port of Los Angeles ~ LA Waterfront Infrastructure Policy

We greatly appreciate the effort that the Port of Los Angeles has put into assembling an official policy for the funding of LA Waterfront infrastructure improvements.  We also thank the Port of Los Angeles for opening the conversation in establishing the LA Waterfront as a destination and we’re confident the end result will be a positive step forward.  There are challenges that lay ahead of the LA Waterfront that require, in our opinion, the focus of the Port, City, Tourism Board, and Stakeholders to assemble a unified strategy to achieve.  Currently, Battleship IOWA is a standalone destination and attraction that will continue to be challenged in growth until the waterfront is developed into a regional destination.  We appreciate all of the Battleship IOWA crew & supporters unifying behind a cohesive strategy to establish the LA Waterfront as a world class destination.  We look forward to providing our feedback in the development of this critical policy.

Heads, Holiday Parade, Pearl Harbor Day, and the future

It has been about a week and a half since we last posted on our blog.  In that short period, a lot happens.  I want to start out by thanking everyone that gave me an outpouring of support when my young son ended up in the hospital for appendicitis.  His perforated appendix was removed by a great pediatric surgeon and I am happy to say he went home this afternoon.  His mother stood by his side 24 hours a day and he is doing great today!  When visiting him in the hospital, I noticed all of the young kids that are struggling to get healthy again from a variety of illnesses.  I ask everyone to keep these young people in your thoughts over the holidays, as they will definitely need it.

Massive rain at the Port of Los Angeles

We have heads on board the ship!!!  The ops team pulled long, hard hours to get us to the point that we can actually use a toilet on board.  This is a major accomplishment that we are all very proud of.  We kept much of the heads the same as they were in the 1980's, but upgraded systems that were out of order to eliminate leaks and make them work.  As with everything on the ship, we do our best to make it an authentic experience and the heads are no different.  Thank you to everyone involved over the past year to bring this to fruition.


As many of you know, we had a massive rain storm blow through the past week.  As always, we find minor leaks throughout the ship that we have to fix and clean up.  This rain storm was no different and our crew has been hard at work cleaning up the water and fixing the leaks.

Holiday up-lights on Turret 3.
Photo by Ross Tipps.

In addition to the heads and leaks, the crew came together to install Christmas lights.  The ship looks great!  On Saturday, December 6th, we hosted over 400 people for the annual Holiday Light Parade event.  We had Santa on board, crafts with kids by Crafted, numerous holiday decorations, and a firing of the 5" gun by the safe gun crew!  A big thank you to the entire Battleship IOWA team and a special thank you to Jamie Perez, Todd Caleca, the Ops Team, the Gun Crew, Security Team, Tour Team, Kohls (for donating decorations), Georges Trees (for donating a beautiful tree), and our loyal supporters.  We plan to see everyone again next year!

A great video put together by Battleship IOWA 

Crewmember Cesar Olivera

On Sunday, December 7th, we hosted our annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance service on the bow.  It was a wonderful event that featured Pearl Harbor Survivors Nelson Mitchell and Howard Bender.  They participated in the ceremony with the presentation of our memorial wreath and Nelson joined us in the annual San Pedro Holiday Parade.  It was a great day to honor these individuals and our other veterans present.  A big thank you to Brenda for coming through with her 2 1/2 ton truck to help show off the crew in the parade.

Pearl Harbor Survivor Howard Bender
with a Pearl Harbor Survivor Son and
 IOWA Crewmember JJ Johnston.
Photo by Ross Tipps.

Getting ready for the Holiday Parade.
Photo by Ross Tipps.

Pearl Harbor Survivors Nelson Mitchell
and Howard Bender on Battleship IOWA

We also received a couple of significant contributions this week.  One from an anonymous donor that will go towards the materials necessary to replace our deck on the starboard aft quarterdeck.  In addition to this contribution, Teak Decking Systems was kind enough to send us the required epoxy and joint material to replace portions of our deck.

As we begin our focus on youth education programs in 2015, we have already received a small amount of funding towards our programs.  Our education programs will be in partnership with regional schools and include components of remotely operated vehicles, STEAM programs, and Vicky the Dog scavenger hunt.  A big thank you to the Whitney Young Children's Foundation and Harbor Community Benefit Foundation for their recent grants to fund a portion of our education program in 2015.

Pearl Harbor Special Exhibit.
Photo by Ross Tipps.

Our plans for 2015 include a focus on electrical infrastructure, ship maintenance, tour & museum improvements, and our education programs.  It will be a great year for growth as we rotate from infrastructure improvements to guest experiences.  As always, our off season is difficult for us to continue our rapid pace of growth and your contributions continue to allow us to expand at the Battleship IOWA.  Please consider a year end contribution to the Pacific Battleship Center to assist in providing our great programs.

Coming up this week, we will see a brief slow down from our recent fast pace.  Our Board of Directors will be assembling this coming week for our quarterly meeting and high on the list is the growth of our organization, relationship building and fundraising.

In closing, I ask that our local supporters remember to vote in the special election this coming Tuesday.  Part of Celebrating the American Spirit, is protecting our rights that we were granted by the US Constitution which include voting.

Thank you again for being a loyal supporter and for minute by minute updates, please visit our Facebook page!