The Amistad Pays a Call
 On
a sunny July 12th the towering Freedom Schooner Amistad sailed
into Paradise Bay on her way to Chicago from her home port of
Mystic, Connecticut. Named after the slave ship Amistad, which
it replicates, she is owned by a national non-profit organization
set up to promote improved relationships between the races. (The
original Amistad, commemorated in Steven Speilberg's movie, provoked
a unique event: in 1839 its cargo of slaves won their freedom
in the U. S. Supreme Court and returned home when their charismatic
leader Joseph Cinque convinced the Court to classify them as “kidnapped
Africans” instead of property.) The ship left the East Coast
in early May. On July 5th she headed out of Toledo, and is due
at Chicago on July 26th, where she'll spend two weeks at the Navy
Pier.
 Having
a draft of over 10', she tied up at the ferry dock, promising
to leave before the Emerald Isle arrived Sunday morning. Skip
Duhamel donated a meal's worth of smoked fish, and dozens of people
milled around, awed and impressed with her workmanship. A couple
who lived in Mystic happened to be visiting Beaver Island and
were surprised to find the boat they had watched being built.
No advance notice had been given because up to the last minute
they did not know if they'd stop–despite Jack Kelly's diligent
lobbying all spring. Barry Pischner and Bill McDonough spoke to
the captain and crew about stopping on her return trip this fall,
letting the school kids have a tour, and giving a presentation
about the significance and meaning of the events the ship commemorates.
The response was that as much as they'd like to do this, it would
all depend on how the home office reacted to our request.
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