The annual commissioning ceremonies, which start
at 1 p.m., officially open the Cove Road base for the 2013 boating season,
noted Flotilla Commander Karen Beehm.
Coast Guard active duty and auxiliary personnel
from around Central New York will join the flotilla for the ceremonies and a
picnic reception, she said.
The 12th Infantry, a Civil War living history
regiment based in Syracuse, will provide a contingent of re-enactors. The Civil
Air Patrol's Utica Cadet Squadron will provide a color guard squad.
For more than 50 years, Beehm said, the Coast Guard
Auxiliary has served local boaters, responding to distress calls on Oneida
Lake, making numerous patrols to ensure safety on the lake, providing free
vessel safety checks, and offering "countless hours of public education on
boating safety."
