For those of you following the effort to berth the USS Iowa, a World War II battleship, in the Port of Los Angeles as a permanent floating museum:
- Port officials are expected to get back to members of the Pacific Battleship Center -- the group heading up the campaign -- on Tuesday with more specific ideas on locations either in San Pedro or Wilmington. The group then will analyze those suggestions as the behind-the-scenes negotiations continue.
- Supporters are expected to launch a Web site soon as the movement gains more public interest and momentum.
- The issue could reach the Harbor Commission as early as the Feb. 11 meeting -- but that date is tentative.
- Look for more possibly high-profile political endorsements to be announced in the next few weeks.
Essentially, the group needs to convince the Navy to reopen bids for donation of the ship. To do that, they need a firm commitment of a home port in the Port of Los Angeles. That's also what's needed, supporters say, to jumpstart financial contributions. Two professional fundraisers -- one in California and the other in Iowa -- came on board this month to assist in the fundraising.
The USS Iowa comes through the Panama Canal in 1990 being towed to the West Coast without a crew.
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