TES’ 2007 Annual Gathering will be anchored on 9th Annual Waterford (NY) Tugboat Roundup. The Roundup and TES Gathering are scheduled for Friday September 7, 2007 through Sunday September 9, 2007.

TES chose the 9th Annual Waterford (NY) Tugboat Roundup as the venue for our 2007 Gathering because the Tug Roundup organizing committee consistently produces an outstanding festival filled with entertainment, tug vendors, boat rides, food vendors, canal and tug lectures, craft vendors and tugs and more tugs. The festival has grown steadily and now attracts about 25,000 people to this canal town at the Erie Canal’s eastern terminus in the heart of New York’s Capital Region.

Check out the 9th Annual Waterford Tugboat Roundup website at URL -
http://www.tugboatroundup.com/index000001.html

The Best Western Rensselaer Inn, Troy NY Is TES’ HOTEL For The 2007 Gathering

TES will be staying at the Best Western Rensselaer Inn, Troy NY. The hotel is giving TES a great rate and has reserved a block of rooms for us.

If you are planning on attending this gathering, please make your room reservations as soon as possible.

The hotel is one of the closest to Waterford (a 15 minute drive away). It is also close to Troy’s restaurants, shopping and attractions.

Best Western Rensselaer Inn, Troy, NY - http://www.bestwesternnewyork.com/hotels/best-western-rensselaer-inn/

About the City of Troy, NY BRIEFING

Troy has become a popular destination. Whether you are coming to explore the area's history, visit one of the City's colleges or attend a cultural event, there is plenty to see and do in The Collar City. Troy 's RiverSpark Visitor Center is a great place to become acquainted with the area, either as a visitor or new resident.

Troy is well known for a wide variety of fine dining establishments and unique stores. A full listing is available both online, and as a printed guide distributed in Troy. A calendar of events is also available online and on display in kiosks throughout downtown.

Check out these Troy NY websites at URLs

City of Troy NY - http://www.troyvisitorcenter.org/index.html

Troy, NY’s fine dining establishments and unique stores online - http://www.troyvisitorcenter.org/downtown.html

Tentative TES’ 2007 Gathering Agenda

This is the information may change as details are finalized so watch this page for updates as they become available.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2007

Attending TES’ers will participate in Friday’s Tugboat Parade arriving at Waterford’s historic waterfront around 6:00 PM. TES participants will have the option of either participating in the tug parade or arranging their own transportation to Waterford.

A supper meal will be provided in Waterford for TES members followed by participation in the Friday evening roundup activities.

SATURDAY, September 8, 2007

No host breakfast followed by transportation to Waterford Tugboat Roundup venue for a morning of tugboat tours, presentations and entertainment.

No host lunch followed by the opportunity to get an insiders look at the workings of the NY State Barge Canal (Erie Canal).

Evening activities include a social hour followed by TES’ traditional dinner with an after dinner program at the Best Western Rensselaer Inn, Troy NY.

The speaker at the banquet this year is Brent Dibner, the editor of TugBitts, presenting a wide ranging PowerPoint slide show and discussion of the history of the New York State Canal system and the tugs that operated on it and the Hudson River (see additional information on this presentation at the bottom of this page).

SUNDAY, September 9, 2007

No host breakfast

Official TES Farewell

TES’er are on their own to return to the Tugboat Roundup for the remainder of the event.

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OVERVIEW OF THE SATURDAY EVENING PRESENTATION BY BRENT DIBNER

Brent gave a Power Point presentation with about 100 slides detailing the history of both the Erie Canal System and its sucessor in 1915, the New York State Barge Canal System. The presentation had five main elements: (1.) The origin,vision, courage and significance of the Erie Canal as a means to link New York Harbor with the west and north, including Canada and the Great Lakes; (2.) The rythym of life on the Erie Canal including cargoes, economics, families (men, women, and children), transportation on the Canal, the Hudson River and within New York Harbor; (3.) The creation of the New York State Barge Canal, including resistance to its financing; (4.) The progression of tugs and powered craft from the 1870 "hoodledashers" to early shoal draft tugs, to steam tugs, to diesel, and the ultimate designs of the 1950's and 1960's; (5.) The legacy of preservation of the canals and their cultural, social, and economic significance on New York and the nation.