than in Seattle, for example, but most are enjoying the change.” Brennan said as NOFA and others volunteer at schools and events, “it has been very positive with the community accepting us and enjoying us being here. The more we have become involved, the more we appreciate this community.” Capt. Wade Blake, commanding officer of NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Pacific (MOC-P), cautions that any involvement in the community needs to be secondary to the NOAA’s fisheries, hydrographic, ecosystem and ecosystem survey projects. But it is a responsibility he and others take seriously. “First of all,” he said recently, “we’re very pleased with this facility (40,852 square feet of office and warehouse space and a 1,300-footlong pier, all leased from the port) and grateful to the city for its support, which we appreciate. We see it as the beginning of a great relationship.” NOAA, its officers and their families have begun to become more involved in the community through outreach by doing more volunteering. For its part, Capt. Blake said, the base has gotten involved in a variety of community events and has held guided tours to more than 3,000 visitors to the base and its ships during the last two years. Blake said he meets with city and county officials often to let them know what’s going on on the base “so they can let other groups know what we do and how we fit into the community,” he said. “We’ve been getting more involved as a group but a lot of our community involvement is self-generated Photo by Dennis Anstine
from a group like NOFA or officers on a ship,” he said. “As a group, some helped clean up a park in Toledo and helped put flags out on the highway during holidays. When things like that pop up we will get involved.” For example, when St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research held one of its headshaving fundraisers this past May in Newport, Piper Berkowitz, the 9-year-old daughter of Capt. Eric Berkowitz, who is director of marine operations at the local base, shaved her head along with other family members. Piper and her team, which included NOFA members, raised more than $6,000 as Newport and NOAA supporters became involved, which included three crew members of the Rainier shaving their heads while docked at Petersburg, Alaska. NOFA has been Photo by Dennis Anstine involved in several other community events, including the Newport Food Pantry’s “snacks packs” programs for children, Christmas and holiday events, and a silent auction. NOFA is also sponsoring a photo contest for its employees, especially those who are traveling aboard ships in the Pacific Ocean, which will provide the photographs for a 2014 calendar. As with its other events, a portion of the proceeds will go to local charities and groups, Tracey Brennan said. “We’re now canvassing local businesses and we hope to have all photographs submitted by Sept. 15 with the goal of having the calendars ready to be sold in October,” she said. “We hope the proceeds will help fund some of our local events, too.”