Point Judith Fishermen

Thank you to Elizabeth Kordowski for the photos
DEDICATED SUNDAY, JULY 27 2008

Annual Dinner
May 20 at Spain Resturant. Narragansett 6 pm. Tickets $50. Available at the Bait Company or from our board members.

NARRAGANSETT – In memory of local fishermen who were either lost at sea or died in the service of a commercial fishing vessel, the Point Judith Fishermen’s Memorial Foundation will dedicate a new memorial at the Department of Environmental Management’s Camp Cronin fishing access site in Point Judith. On Sunday, July 27 – Governor’s Bay Day – members of the Point Judith Fishermen’s Memorial Foundation will join Governor Carcieri, state and local officials, and commercial fishing representatives at a 3:30 p.m. ceremony.

The dedication will culminate two years of effort and generous donations by Rhode Island’s commercial fishing industry and other supporters. More than a tribute to an industry and the lives of its fishermen, the monument fills a special need for families who have lost a loved one. The memorial will provide a place for family and friends to visit, reflect, and heal.

The memorial is located by a knoll covering an abandoned coastal artillery emplacement with beautiful views of Point Judith, the seawall, Block Island, and the entrance to Narragansett Bay and the North Atlantic. The memorial consists of three granite stones: one etched with the poem Sea Fever, by John Masefield; and two etched with the names of fishermen whose lives have been lost in service of their vessel. (*Poem and fishermen’s names list attached.) The memorial also includes two granite benches where family members can sit in quiet reflection of the loved ones they lost, as well as a compass-etched stone centerpiece

The Foundation raised funds for the memorial, and received an easement from DEM to construct the five-foot high granite memorial. The Foundation would like to especially thank the following major supporters and contributors: Kenneth Castellucci and Associates for providing the stones and all design support and engraving, Donald Jackson Surveying, South County Foundations, Jeff Bertwell for designing the bronze plaque, Jeff Farrel Landscaping, Bill Barney Stamped Concrete, Narragansett Lions Club, Cullion Concrete, Friends of Billy Carr Fishing Tournament, and a great many others.

Speakers at the dedication ceremony will include Governor Donald Carcieri, Point Judith Fishermen’s Memorial Foundation president Michael Marchetti, RI Commercial Fishermen’s President Chris Brown, and DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. The ceremony will also include a blessing by Father Waterson, formerly of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea.