A History of Shipwrecks with Captain Greg Ketchen (Retired)

  
 

We learned so much from Greg for our last session on the History of the Coast Guard, we just had to have him back! This talk will focus primarily on, but not be limited to, historic shipwrecks that have occurred south and east of Massachusetts. The region has been called the Graveyard of the North Atlantic with over 3,000 wrecks here since European sailors first began exploring the shores of the western Atlantic. Because of the hazards experienced by early coastal and trans-Atlantic shipping while sailing these waters, Massachusetts was the 18th century birthplace of the modern United States Coast Guard. Advances in navigation, weather forecasting, response resources, and vessel technology over the past two centuries may have reduced the risks but have not eliminated them. The presentation will include an overview of shipwrecks, their causes, and the evolution of response resources and programs.

Greg Ketchen is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain living in Osterville, MA. He is a volunteer at the Coast Guard Heritage Museum located in Barnstable’s Old Customs House and has served as its president for the past six years. Before moving to the Cape thirteen years ago, Greg’s career included providing support to Massachusetts’ commercial ports as a development consultant, heading operations at the New England Aquarium, and filling a wide variety of Coast Guard jobs. These included performing duties at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, completing assignments as chief oceanographer for the International Ice Patrol and on the faculty of the Coast Guard Academy, and serving as commander of Coast Guard Group Boston and a NATO station in Italy. He has completed graduate studies in both Physical Oceanography and Business Administration. He is a frequent lecturer on a variety of topics related to Coast Guard missions and history. *Image: Boston Light, America’s 1st Lighthouse 1716)

The Coast Guard Heritage Museum occupies the historic 1856 U.S. Custom House in Barnstable Village on a campus that also includes the oldest surviving wooden jail in the United States (circa 1695) and an operating village blacksmith shop. The museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the Coast Guard’s rich history. 

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RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

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About the book:

Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).

Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.

 

About the author:

Danica Nava is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and works as an Executive Assistant in the tech industry. She has her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter. The Truth According to Ember is her debut novel. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @danica_nava. 

 
 

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and in partnership with a multitude of MA Libraries.