 |
| 05-31-05 |
|
 Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of paddle
wheeler in Dardenne Slough this past weekend.
|
| R_E_S_P_E_C_T ------
"Respect those tows going up and down the
river and use good judgment when you are near them" is the subject of
Kathy Flippo's Tow
Talkin' this week. This is an article written by a lady that
has spent a lot of time on towboats traveling up and down the
river. Please take a minute and read it.
|
|
Jamaica
Daze 2005 Kickoff Meeting ------
Wednesday evening, 6:00 PM at the Sand Bar
Restaurant, Lake Center Marina. The bar will be open and they will have finger
foods available off the menu.
We will be discussing ideas and forming committees for this years party
!
Check out last
years party..click on "JAMAICA DAZE 2004" in the upper left hand
corner of this page.
|
|
Upcoming River Events ------
Take a look ~ I added some items to the Upcoming
River Events. Stay tuned for more info.
|
|
| 05-30-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of 3
BBQ pits full of ribs at yesterdays
"Raging Rivers Rib-A-Rama" on Iowa Island. Carl is front and center
showing off the ribs, Dave is on the right and Jim is in the back holding open the lids to
the BBQ pits. Some of the key players were
Carl the "Chief Cook" (left), Jessie the
"Pastry Girl" (center) and Dave Stolze (right) the sponsor for the event. Thank
you all.
We also have a pictures of ; Mary,
Judy and Carl , a group dressed in Red,
White and Blue and last but not least, a (fuzzy) group
picture of some of the rib eaters.
|
|
| 05-29-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of a miniature Tug
Boat entering Lake Center Marina yesterday
afternoon.
|
| A
Commentary Against The Proposed Lakeside 370 Business Park ------ written
by Adolphus A Bush, Chairman, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance was
published in Saturday's on-line Post Dispatch.
Please take a minute and read the
article. It makes a lot of sense to me. Why build in the flood
plain ? For more info go to STLtoday. |
| Riverside
Flea Market ------ The Riverside Flea Market in Grafton,
IL (near the Loading Dock) is going on this Sat and Sun. For more information
click
here. |
| Cedar
Hill Resort Open 7 Days A Week ------ Cedar Hill will be open 7 days a
week starting this Friday. Live
music this weekend....Sat....Tom Flynn.... 4 PM - 8 PM.... ..Sun....Tim... 2
PM - 6 PM. |
| Sand
Bar Restaurant Open Memorial Day ------ The Sand Bar Restaurant
will be open for breakfast on weekends starting this Sat, Sun and
Monday....... 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM. The "2nd Nature
Band" is playing outside on stage this Sat evening...... 9:00 PM - 1:00
AM. Open on Monday ( Memorial Day)
and serving BBQ. |
|
| 05-28-05 |
| River
Subs and A Bit Of War History ------
Dave Kelly sent us this picture of a WW
II Submarine that is on display at the Wisconsin
Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI. The city of
Manitowoc and the museum are both located on the shores of Lake
Michigan. The connection they have to the Mississippi River is that
submarines were built in Manitowoc during WW II, loaded on
floating dry docks and transported down the Illinois River and then the
Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks for the picture and
interesting story Dave.
Dave is out of Woodland Marina and part of the crew that is moving the Ovation
from La Crosse, WI to Detroit. The Ovation is in Manitowoc
right now being reassembled and readied for the trip across the Great Lakes to
Detroit. See the 5-18-05 Daily Edition.
|
| More
Info On The Proposed Lakeside 370 Business Park ------ According to an
article in Friday's on-line Post Dispatch, the City of St. Peters has an offer
from a developer for the Lakeside 370 Business Park. The proposed
business park is slated to be built in the Mississippi River flood plain. For more information go to
STLtoday. |
| Alton
Block Party Today ------ There is an Alton Block
Party on Saturday with Mr Wizard performing on-stage. The party
is easy to get to from the Alton Marina. For more information go to
STLtoday. |
|
| 05-27-05 |
|
PICTURE
DAY ON RIVERBILL'S
|
Classic
Boat ------ A very classy looking old Chris
Craft motoring around near Winfield Dam last Sunday
afternoon. I heard that it was a 1947 1940 model. What a neat
looking boat. |
| A
Classy Go-Fast Boat ------ Our
friends Dale
and Todd floating down the river and enjoying the day last Sunday
afternoon in Dale's 26 ft. Nova. |
| Smokin
------ Bill,
Sue, Jack and Denise clowning around, smokin Jack's cigars and
enjoying the evening on Iowa Island last night. |
| Chuck
------ Our friend Chuck
was all smiles yesterday evening on Iowa. Why ?
Because he was the first one and the only one that showed up for the Jamaica
Daze planning meeting at the Sand Bar Restaurant on Wednesday. The
rumor is that RiverBill told Chuck the date for the meeting and then changed
it. Oops! Come back next week Chuck. |
| Dancin
As The Sun Sets ------ With a little coaching from Gary M,
Bernie
decided to dance on the food table yesterday as the sun was setting on another
perfect evening. Go girl ! And don't forget that
classic cruiser in the background. |
| Glenn's
Girls ------ Captain Glenn Sadowski, out of Woodland
Marina, sent me this picture of some River
Girl wan-a-be's that he took while he was in Fort Lauderdale a couple of
weeks ago. Thanks for the picture Glenn. |
| Weekly Fishing Report ------ Here is the Mississippi River portion of
this weeks Missouri Department Of Conservation's Fishing Report. |
|
Mississippi (above St. Louis): 65
degrees, normal, muddy; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers; flathead catfish
fair on live baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/26/2005) |
|
| To view the complete report -click
the "Fishing Report" link in the left hand column of this page. |
| |
|
HELP
YOUR NEIGHBOR - HELP YOUR COUNTRY
------
The US Coast
Guard Auxiliary is looking for volunteers to train for the following
positions; Instructor, Publications, Water Operations and Vessel Examiner. For more information
click
here.
|
| Cedar
Hill Resort Open 7 Days A Week ------ Cedar Hill will be open 7 days a
week starting this Friday. Live
music this weekend....Sat....Tom Flynn.... 4 PM - 8 PM.... ..Sun....Tim... 2
PM - 6 PM. |
| Sand
Bar Restaurant Open Memorial Day ------ The Sand Bar Restaurant
will be open for breakfast on weekends starting this Sat, Sun and
Monday....... 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM. The "2nd Nature
Band" is playing outside on stage this Sat evening...... 9:00 PM - 1:00
AM. Open on Monday ( Memorial Day)
and serving BBQ. |
|
| 05-26-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is another great aerial
picture taken by Steve Schulte on 5-15- 05. It is of the Clark
Bridge and Mississippi River at Alton, IL. Oh yeah, there are a
few airplanes in the picture also. Check out Steve's website by
clicking his link on the right hand side of this web page. He is always
adding new photo's...... Thanks
for this picture Steve ! |
| 124
Pound "World Record" Catfish Dies ------ According
to an Illinois Department of Natural Resources press release, the 124 pound blue
cat caught last Saturday in the Mississippi River was indeed an Illinois "State
Record" and a "World Record". It is sad to report that the
record breaking fish died while being transported to a store that planned to put
it on display in an aquarium. For more information go to the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources on-line Press
Releases. For photo go to the News-Review
online. For info on death of fish, go to MaconTelegraph.com.
|
|
| 05-25-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of the upper
decks being removed from the 125 ft long Ovation
so it can fit under the low bridges on the Illinois River in
Chicago. This photo was sent in by one of the crew, Dave
Kelly. Everyone is back home now from the first leg of the trip.. When the boat gets put back together they will take it across the
Great Lakes to Detroit. For more information check the
archives for the story dated 05-18-05. Thanks for the
picture and update Dave. |
| 124
Pound Catfish Caught In The Mississippi River ------ According
to an article in the "paper edition" of the Alton Telegraph, a man
from Godfrey, named Tim Pruitt, caught a 124 pound blue catfish in the
Mississippi River Saturday night. He hooked the fish near the confluence
of the Mississippi and Missouri using 30 pound test line. Many
reports have it as the largest blue catfish ever caught in Illinois and "the world."
The fish will be put on display at Cabela's aquarium in Kansas City for those of you interested in seeing
it. The good news is that Tim has decided to have the mammoth fish kept
alive and eventually released back into the Mississippi
River. I salute that decision - Catch and release
! For more information see a paper edition
of Tuesday's Alton Telegraph..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erosion Work
On Portage Island----- Captain Tony Trice e-mailed us some
pictures that he took last weekend of some river maintenance work that is being
done on Portage Island ( UMR 214). He wrote, "It looks like routine
work to keep the upstream end of the island from eroding away." For
larger pictures click on pic1,
pic2,
pic3,
pic4..........
Thanks for the river update and pictures Tony.
|
 |
| National
Safe Boating Week Proclamation ------
The President of the
United States has proclaimed this week, May 21 through May 27, as
National Safe Boating Week. Please take some time and read the
President's proclamation.
It states that recreational boating has grown into one of the nations most
popular pastimes (we knew that) and that the number of boating fatalities has decreased over
the last decade. |
|
|
05-24-05 |
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------
is
of Ernie,
Sue and Sandy on Iowa Island last Sunday enjoying the
afternoon. Looks almost tropical with the thatched tiki
umbrella in the background. Thanks for the picture Tom.
|
|
Jamaica
Daze Meeting ------ The
1st Jamaica Daze planning meeting will be held at the Sand Bar Restaurant
on Wednesday, June 1 at 6:00 PM. We need some volunteers to help
make this years party happen. Drop by if you are interested
participating. There is a link to last years pictures in the upper
left column of this page.
|
|
Information
on the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance ------
Boaters
in the Alton Lake area should be aware that there are serious issues facing the
area they so love. More and more land in the confluence flood plain of northern
St. Charles County is getting gobbled up for development….a move which
makes access to the river more difficult in times of high water.
Great
Rivers Habitat Alliance (GRHA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to
preserving the 100-year Confluence Flood Plain in St. Charles County. It was
founded in 2000 by a group of flood plain land owners concerned about the fast
spreading development that threatens to destroy our area’s most valuable
natural resource; the Confluence Flood Plain and wetlands.
Local board members include Jim Leonhard, Judy Bateman and Sue Schneider
who are all committed to preserving this area.
Most of us remember the flood of 1993 which
cost American taxpayers $14 billion. No state was more impacted than Missouri.
Unfortunately, floodplain development in the years since has been rampant and
unchecked. In fact, according to Dr. Nicholas Pinter of Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale, no other region in the entire world is developing
flood plains at the rate of St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance is working to
educate land owners, farmers, government officials and others who love the river
about the importance of preserving this land for the sake of the environment and
the wildlife habitat it provides.
Let
the land in northern St. Charles County be what it always has been….rich
farmland and home for the wildlife so that everyone can enjoy it as is.
For
more information about our organization, visit us at www.grha.net or call (314)
241-2122.
Sue
Schneider
Member of
Board of Directors
Great
River Habitat Alliance
|
|
Drag
Boat Races ------
I received the following e-mail from Captain Darryll Weil about some of our
fellow boaters doing some drag racing at Lake Wappapelo.
Darryll wrote:
We went to the St. Louis Drag Boat Association races
on Lake Wappapelo near Poplar Bluff to cook and help Big Dick's Halfway Inn
Motorsports and Little John's Marine Service. They had two boats to enter,
a Pro Mod called "Dick Tator" and a Top Eliminator called "What A
Ride". Brutus driving "Dick Tator" made it to the final
round and ran a better time than his opponent only to lose by red lighting at
the line. Mike in "What A Ride" had a valve seat come loose and
drop in the motor during his first round, which he won because of his faster
reaction time at the line. After tearing down the motor we could not
repair it to make the next round. Weather threatened Sunday morning with
rain but cleared up nicely by race time. Maureen and I took a bunch of
food to cook for the crew and she and Teri manned Big Dick's T-Shirt stand.
Check out the pics at:
http://www.captainweil.com/DragBoatRacesPoplarBluff2005
|
|
|
05-23-05 |
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------
is
of some of the river
crew on the sundeck at Cedar Hill Resort yesterday afternoon.
The light breeze and sunny skies made
it a fine place to have some lunch and watch the river flow by. I got to
visit with some long time river friends while we were there and I also got to meet some new
ones. Thanks Dave and Carrie for taking care of us.
|
|
05-22-05
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
of an awesome
sunset that
was sent
in by Ron and Darlene Skeen of Two Branch Marina. They snapped this
picture last Wednesday evening from just below Hat Island. Look at those
colors ! Hat is at approximately the UMR 235 mile marker. Thanks for sharing your sunset with us Ron and Darlene..........
|
|
A
Raffle And Info On Construction Along The River In Calhoun County, Including A
Marina------ There is an article
in Friday's on-line Alton Telegraph about a raffle to benefit spinal research
where for a $100 ticket, you can win a new house in one of Winneberg’s
subdivisions that are located on and near the Mississippi River in Calhoun
County, near Golden Eagle, IL. Buried deep in the story is a note
about a marina that that is being designed, which will hold boats up to 36
feet in length.. For the complete
story go to the
On-Line
Telegraph.
|
|
|
05-21-05 |
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
of
Dennis,
Sue & Friends from
last week's Thursday Night Party at Iowa Island.
Dennis Carroll is all smiles (center), along with his wife, Sue, and
friends.
|
| Corps
To Study Sedimentation Problem At Azcon Corp. Near Alton ------ According to an
article in Thursday's on-line Post Dispatch the Army Corp of Engineers will
study the sedimentation problem in the vicinity of Azcon's dock that is
located between the Clark Bridge and the Melvin Price Lock and Dam. Silting
has been a problem in this area for about a decade. For more information go to
STLtoday. |
|
North
Shore Marina
------ Mr.
Jack Gorecki told me
he has a contract on North Shore Marina to purchase the propertyand that
everything should be finalized by June 1st. More information
forthcoming .
|
|
Drowning
At Alton Riverfront ------ According
to an article in Friday's on-line Alton Telegraph, a teenager
drowned on Thursday in the Mississippi River near the public access ramp at the
east end of the Alton Marina.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph.
* * * * The
article also states that it
is illegal to swim in the Mississippi River in Alton.* * * *
|
|
| 05-20-05 |
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
named best
parking spot on the beach .
Bob didn't really park his boat like this. It was at
the waters edge at one time, but when a larger boat was looking for a spot to
park a bunch of guys picked up the john boat and moved it up on to the sand bar
so that the larger boat could pull in. Hope Bob isn't the last guy
to leave.
|
| Weekly Fishing Report ------ Here is the Mississippi River portion of
this weeks Missouri Department Of Conservation's Fishing Report. |
|
"Mississippi (above St.
Louis): 63 degrees, normal, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 5/19/2005) |
|
| To view the complete report -click
the "Fishing Report" link in the left hand column of this page. |
|
| 05-19-05 |
|
Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
an aerial shot of the river taken somewhere
near Winfield Lock and Dam . Steve Schulte could not pin point
the exact location, but I think he took this picture looking down river,
near the area of the Cuivre Slough. You can almost see the bluffs
at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in the far
distance (right hand side of the picture). I think that the
channel of the Mississippi River is in the far distance and the Cuivre Slough
is sort of in the center of the picture. There looks to be a land locked
slough in the right / bottom of the pic. I am going to guess that the
three large islands, from left to right, are Peruque Island, Island No
508 and then Two Branch Island. What do you think ?
Check out Steve's website by
clicking his link on the right hand side of this web page. He is always
adding new photo's...... Thanks
for this picture Steve !
|
|
Great
Rivers Habitat Alliance -----
I have added a link to the "Great
Rivers Habitat Alliance". This is a conservation
organization that is working to preserve and sometimes enhance the flood
plains and wetlands in our area. I think that existing
floodplains should remain floodplains to help prevent a flood disaster worst
than we experienced in 1993. Seems like some people have forgot all
about the 93 flood already ! So please take a minute,
look at their website and contact them if you are interested in what they are
doing . Lets preserve this great river that we boat
on.
And hold that anchor line tight.......... there will be more information about
this organization
forthcoming.
|
|
The
Tiki Bar At Cedar Hill Will Be Open This Weekend
----- The Tiki Bar on the sundeck at Cedar Hill Resort will be open
this Saturday and Sunday for food and drinks. Stop by and say hello ~
have a drink and get something to eat. For more information, check out Cedar
Hill's website ~click on their link on the right hand side of
this web page. A
few more pics have been added to their website ~ A couple of aerial
shots and a few cycles. |
|
Luttrell Marine's Adds "Featured Boat" Section -----
Luttrell Marine has just added a "Featured Boat" section on
their web page. If you are in the market for a different boat or
just thinking about one, check out their select listings by clicking on the
Luttrell Marine link on the right
side of this web page. |
|
| 05-18-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of
the 125 ft. Ovation when
it was in the Alton Pool last weekend. This grand
looking vessel is being piloted by Captain Greg Sadowski and crew from La
Crosse, Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan. The first leg of this journey is
down the Mississippi River from La Crosse to St. Louis and then up the
Illinois River through Chicago and on to Manitowoc,
Wisconsin.
I received an update from Dave Kelly and Greg yesterday evening.
They were on the Illinois River about 30 miles south of Chicago when they
called. They told me that on Wednesday a crane will remove the two upper
most decks from the Ovation and load them on to a barge so that the boat will
be able to clear the low bridges in that area. Once out of
Chicago, the Ovation and the barge will travel Lake Michigan on to
Manitowoc, Wisconsin where everything will be
reassembled. It will take about 1 week to put everything back
together.
Then, Captain Greg and the crew will journey across the Great
Lakes and on to Detroit, where the Ovation will be moored at the downtown
riverfront and used as a used as a party boat.
Thanks for the update and the picture. Have a safe Journey.............
By the way, you guys have one heck of a job !
|
| More
Sunday Blues At The Sand Bar Restaurant -----
The Sand Bar
Restaurant has just added more more dates to their "Sunday Blues"
lineup. Willie Gene and the Blues Finger Band will be
playing select dates on Sunday evenings in June, July and August. Check
out their entertainment calendar by clicking on the Sand Bar link on the right
side of this web page ! |
|
| 05-17-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of
Two
Branch Rocky. Ron Skeen snapped a picture of this raccoon
in action about 3:00 AM last Sunday morning at Two Branch Harbor. Looks
like the bandit was sitting on Ron and Darlene's
boat-dock-kitchen-counter..... having a feast on some left over
cake. Thanks for the sharing the picture Ron & Darlene |
| St.
Peters Alderman Step Up Campaign for Lakeside 370----- According to an
article in Monday's on-line Post Dispatch the campaign to get public support
for the proposed Lakeside 370 Business Park will be stepped up by a St. Peters
Alderman.. For more information go to STLtoday. |
| More
High Heels On The Beach Pics---- Sue
Ferguson emailed some pictures of everyone helping to set up for High Heels On
The Beach Day. Plus I added a few more pics of the gals. Click
here. |
| Elsah
and Pere Marquette Links----
A link to the Illinois river town of Elsah
and a link to Pere Marquette have been added in the left hand column. |
|
| 05-16-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of the "Girls
On The Beach In Heels". The weather was cool and the wind was
blowing. It was enough to make an normal woman stay home, but the
"River Girls" came through for the 1st annual High Heel Beach Day
with flying colors ! The event was created and and sponsored by
Mike
D and Gary Meinershagen. And as you can see, the River Girls are
all smiles and having a good time showing off their
heels. For more pictures click here. |
| Body
In Car Pulled From River at Alton Identified------ According to an
article in Sunday's on-line Post Dispatch the body found in the car that was
recovered from the Mississippi River at the Alton riverfront on Friday was
that of Wilma Bricker. Bricker's car drove off the parking lot of the
Alton Bell Casino into the river in March of 2002. For more information go to
STLtoday. |
| Flood
Plain Development------ There is an interesting article in the Reed
Construction Data about developing areas around us that were under water 12
years ago during the 1993 flood. For more information go to
Reed
Construction Data. |
|
| 05-15-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is of the Jimmy
Manno band at the Sand Bar
last night with Marty helping out (?) on the keyboards. "Rock
On" guys ! |
| Today
is "High Heel Beach Day" at Iowa Island ----- The
first annual "High Heel Beach Day" is this Sunday at Iowa
Island. Bring your heels girls and join in the fun ! You ask,
"How do you walk on the beach in heels ?" ~ ~ ~ No
problem, there will be a runway and a stage. I hear there might even be
palm trees. Judging starts
between noon and 2:00 PM.
Prizes
~ Prizes !
Sponsors
for this event are Mike D and Gary Meinershagen.
|
|
| Polestar
Marina Boat Show------ Polestar Marina will have a Boat Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hours 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM For more information go to STLtoday
and scroll down to the article. |
|
Jimmy
Manno Is Playing at the Sand Bar ------
Jimmy Manno and his Acoustic Guitar is
playing tonight ( Saturday ) at the Sand Bar Restaurant. Check
out the Entertainment Calendar on the Sand Bar's website by clicking on
their link on the right hand side of this page. |
|
| 05-14-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
an aerial shot, taken by Steve Schulte, of the towboat
Kelly Rae Erickson moving some heavy equipment for Andrie, Inc down the
Illinois River a few weeks ago. The equipment was headed to a job
site somewhere up the Mississippi River. Check out Steve's website by
clicking his link on the right hand side of this web page. He is always
adding new photo's...... Thanks
for the photo Steve ! |
| Sunday
is "High Heel Beach Day" at Iowa Island ----- The
first annual "High Heel Beach Day" is this Sunday at Iowa
Island. Bring your heels girls and join in the fun ! You ask,
"How do you walk on the beach in heels ?" ~ ~ ~ No
problem, there will be a runway and a stage. I hear there might even be
palm trees. Judging starts
between noon and 2:00 PM.
Prizes
~ Prizes !
Sponsors
for this event are Mike D and Gary Meinershagen.
|
|
| Polestar
Marina Boat Show------ Polestar Marina will have a Boat Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hours 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM For more information go to STLtoday
and scroll down to the article. |
|
Jimmy
Manno Is Playing at the Sand Bar ------ Jimmy Manno and his Acoustic Guitar is
playing tonight ( Saturday ) at the Sand Bar Restaurant. Check
out the Entertainment Calendar on the Sand Bar's website by clicking on
their link on the right hand side of this page. |
|
| 05-13-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------ is
photo taken by Captian Greg Sadowski of some white
pelicans against
a very blue sky. Greg took this picture from the 96 ft
Skipperliner named the Royal
Princess II that he piloted down the Mississippi River to Corpus
Christie, Texas a few weeks ago. Thanks for the photo Greg. . |
| Grafton
Condos Update------ There is an update in
Thursday's on-line Post Dispatch about the Timber Ridge and the
Wild Rivers Condos that are being built in Grafton, IL. The Timber Ridge
units will perch on the side of a bluff above the Illinois and Mississippi
Rivers. The Windy Rivers Condos are at the eastern edge of Grafton
between the river and Route 100. For more information on both go
to Statuary. |
| Fight
Water Pollution------ There is an article in Thursday's on-line Post
Dispatch about Chesterfield, Mo. joining the fight on water pollution. I
am mentioning this article because there is a lot of good information in it
about how you and I can help keep our rivers cleaner. Please take
a minute to look at this one. Go to STLtoday. |
| Friday
The 13th Party At Chuck's House ------Our friend, Chuck Beach, is having a
party tonight at his house by the River. It starts at 7:00 PM. Bring
your own chairs and drinks. Music by "The Last Call"
band. Party is tonight "Rain" or "Shine".
For more information click
here. |
| Sunday
is "High Heel Beach Day" at Iowa Island ----- The
first annual "High Heel Beach Day" is this Sunday at Iowa
Island. Bring your heels girls and join in the fun ! You ask,
"How do you walk on the beach in heels ?" ~ ~ ~ No
problem, there will be a runway and a stage. Judging starts
between noon and 2:00 PM.
Prizes
~ Prizes !
Sponsors
for this event are Mike D and Gary Meinershagen.
|
|
|
| Weekly Fishing Report ------ Here is the Mississippi River portion of
this weeks Missouri Department Of Conservation's Fishing Report. |
|
"Mississippi (above St.
Louis): 60 degrees, normal, muddy; all species slow."
(Report made on 5/12/2005) |
|
| To view the complete report -click
the "Fishing Report" link in the left hand column of this page. |
| Polestar
Marina Boat Show------ Polestar Marina will have a Boat Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hours 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM For more information go to STLtoday
and scroll down to the article. |
|
Jimmy
Manno Is Playing at the Sand Bar ------ Jimmy Manno and his Acoustic Guitar is
playing this Friday and Saturday at the Sand Bar Restaurant. Check
out the Entertainment Calendar on the Sand Bar's website by clicking on
their link on the right hand side of this page. |
|
| 05-12-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is
view looking up the
slough that runs past Heartland Marina yesterday
afternoon. This slough and the island that separates this body of
water from the Dardenne Slough is not named on my map, but I can
tell you that it is located
at approximately the UMR 223.4 mile marker. As we motored up the slough,
our friends Larry and Debbie Mahrs hailed us down from their dock, so we tied up
chatted with them for a while. Some of you may remember Larry from the crew that
got hit by the flying Asian Carp two weeks in a row last September. Click
here and scroll down view those pictures from the
"Archives". |
|
Search
For Car Halted ------
According
to an article in Wednesday's on-line Alton Telegraph, the search
for the car belonging to the retired school teacher that drove into the
Mississippi River in March of 2002 has been halted indefinitely.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph. |
|
| 05-11-05 |
| Our River Picture of the Day ------
is another
"Award Winning" photo of the Clark Bridge
taken
by Pat Reid. He snapped this picture just a few weeks ago as the morning
sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds, creating a beautiful
orange and red glow in the sky and reddish reflections on the surface of the
water of the Mississippi River. Above the sun and the silhouette
of the bridge is a flock of geese flying by. What a photo ! Check out
Pat's website http://www.crystal-photo.net. Thanks
Pat for sending us another one of your great river photo's. |
|
City
Of Alton Adds More Patrols At Dam ------
According
to an article in Tuesday's on-line Alton Telegraph, the aldermanic
committee recommended that the Alton City Council approve a resolution that
authorizes the mayor of Alton to sign an agreement with the Corps of Engineers
to add more police patrols around Lock and Dam 26.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph. |
| St.
Peters Has Agreement With Corps On Extent Of Lakeside Wetlands ------ According to an article in
Tuesday's on-line Post Dispatch, the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of
St. Peters have reached an agreement on the size of the wetlands involved in
the Lakeside 370 Business Park. The proposed business park is in the
Mississippi River flood plain. No permit has been
issued. For more information go to STLtoday. |
| Polestar
Marina Boat Show------ Polestar Marina will have a Boat Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hours 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM For more information go to STLtoday
and scroll down to the article. |
|
| 05-10-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day ! ------
is another excellent aerial shot of Cedar
Hill Resort taken by Steve Schulte around the beginning of
May. This one is a good shot of the layout of the place. Look for
these pictures on the Cedar Hill website soon Check out Steve's website and the Cedar Hill website by
clicking the links on the right hand side of this web page. ......... Thanks
for the photo Steve ! |
|
RIVER
CLOSURE ~ UMR 200 - 204 ------
According to
ITCS Memo # 2258 the Mississippi River will be closed to navigation on
05/10/05 from UMR 200 to 204, 0600 to 1000 due to diving operations of
local police department.
For complete information go to the
ITCS
Memo # 2258. |
| Search
Continues For Car Off Of Alton Riverfront ------ According
to an article in Monday's on-line Alton Telegraph, the search
continued last Sunday for the car of a retired school teacher who drove into the
Mississippi River in 2002.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph. |
| Pictures
From Con Trios Yacht Club Past Commodore's Party ------ I
received the following information and some party pictures from Darryll Weil.
Saturday, May 7th, the Past Commodores of the Con Trios Yacht Club held their
annual party at the Point at Polestar Marina on the Dardenne Slough. The
theme was "Surf and Turf", which worked well with the river setting
and Kentucky Derby as well as the food, shrimp and prime rib. Great weather,
great people, great food and a great turnout made for a very enjoyable
afternoon, evening and then a moonlight boat ride on Rich Shamel's boat
"Sin or Swim".
Darryll has posted some pictures from the party on his
website. To view them click
here. Thanks for the pictures Darryll.
NOTE:
If you are interested in joining Con Trios Yacht Club ~ Check their website
for information by clicking the link on the left side of this web page.
|
Another
Item Has Been Added To Our Lost & Found
------ Rick Haines lost a small cooler Thursday night
5/5/05 on Iowa Island. Color : white with a blue top. Contents: water and a
stainless steel flask full of Tequila. Please advise if you picked this up for
me. Thanks
Rickhaines04@aol.com
|
|
| 05-09-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day ! ------
is an excellent aerial shot of Cedar
Hill Resort taken by Steve Schulte around the beginning of
May. Cedar Hill is located at approximately the UMR 240.5 mile
marker, which puts it about 1 mile below Winfield Lock and
Dam. Check out Steve's website and the Cedar Hill website by
clicking the links on the right hand side of this web page. Watch for
another Cedar Hill pic tomorrow .....................Thanks
for the photo Steve ! |
| Public
Meeting
About Proposed Improvements At Winfield Dam ------ There
is an article in Sunday's on-line Quincy Herald-Whig about a
public meeting at the American Legion in Old Monroe where the Corps of
Engineers will present tentative plans for improvements at Lock and Dam
25. A change is proposed on how water levels are controlled
. For the complete story go to
whig.com. |
|
| 05-08-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day
------
Is of
Darlene and Ron's son, Johnny
, who
stopped by the dock at Two Branch Marina to "Show Off" before
the Junior Prom. Johnny attends Orchard Farm High School and the
Prom was at Beefeaters Restaurant in St Charles. ~ ~ ~ ~ Only
"Real River Rats" would understand why a teenager would stop at
the boat dock before heading for the Prom. Way to go Johnny !
|
| First
Pleasure Boat of The Season ------
Here is a
picture, taken Saturday by the Winfield Live Cam, of the 1st
pleasure boat
"that I have seen" locking through Winfield Dam this season..
|
|
| 05-07-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day ------
Is
Jeanie,
Chloe (18 months) and Amanda . This picture was taken last night
at Kinder's Restaurant ( of course) of grandma, daughter and grandbaby.
Three generations of river girls.
|
| Fisherman
Report Spotting Car Off Of Alton Riverfront ------ According
to an article in Saturday's on-line Alton Telegraph, Fishermen
using sophisticated ultrasound
and sonar reported spotting a car about 100 yards off of Alton's riverfront
near the spot where a retired school teacher drove her car into the
Mississippi River in 2002.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph. |
| Plans
For Downtown St. Louis Riverfront ------ There
is an interesting article in Friday's on-line Post Dispatch about how St.
Louis is looking for ideas on improving the downtown riverfront.
For the complete story go to
STLtoday. |
| Weekly Fishing Report ------ Here is the Mississippi River portion of
this weeks Missouri Department Of Conservation's Fishing Report. |
|
"Mississippi (above St. Louis):56
degrees, normal, muddy; all species slow.
(Report made on 5/5/2005) |
|
| To view the complete report -click
the "Fishing Report" link in the left hand column of this page. |
|
| 05-06-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day
------
Is of some of the River
Girls last night at Iowa Island. The River
Crew celebrated Cinco De Mayo on the sandbar and a
good time was had by all..
|
| Update
on Royal Princess II ------ Captain
Greg Sadowski called yesterday evening with an update on their trip and then
emailed us a picture of Greg,
Tom and Dave (left to right)
standing in front of the boat used in the movie "Captain
Ron". The Royal Princess II is now in Kemah, Texas
and all is going good. They have 200 miles to go to Corpus
Christie and plan to get there on Saturday..... Then, the long drive
home. See you early next week guys.
|
|
| 05-05-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day
------
Is
just Happy
Cinco De Mayo to everyone. Oh
buoy !
|
|
| 05-04-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day
------
Is
of the Royal Princess II
yesterday in Morgan City, La. Captain Greg Sadowski
sent it to me from his laptop over a cell phone. The 96 ft Skipperliner was
in St. Louis last week, moored at Woodland Marina and the "Pic Of The
Day" on 4-28-05. Tom,
Dave and Greg said in their
e-mail that they just bought some fresh shrimp from one of the boats for $2.50 /
lb. ! Check out their trip report below. Thanks for
the picture guys !
|
| Update
On River Trip Of The Royal Princess II ------
As
most of you know the Royal Princess II was in St. Louis last week, moored at
Woodland Marina while traveling down the Mississippi River from La Crosse, Wisconsin
to Corpus Christie, Texas. I
got an e-mail and picture from Greg yesterday and a phone call from Dave
Kelly with a trip update.
They have averaged about 230 miles
per day, the boat always attracts a lot of attention and "all is
well". The first day out of St. Louis
they made Cairo, IL The 2nd night was spent in Memphis, Tennessee
and Dave said "the ribs there were really good !" The 3rd night was at the fuel dock
in Greenville. Now they are "off " the Mississippi River and
traveling the Atchafalaya River. Tomorrow they are heading towards Galveston, Texas................
Have a safe trip guys and take lots of pictures for us..
|
|
Grafton
Towboat Festival ------
(With a good link to "Bitts& Bytes" this time) The
Grafton Towboat Festival is scheduled for June 25 & 26. Jack
Simpson has a good article about the upcoming festival in the Bitts
& Bytes - Little River Books Newsletter, April 25, 2005.
Open the link and scroll down to the "On the Waterfront" section.
|
|
Man Who Jumped From Bridge Shot
Himself 5 Times ~ Then Jumped
------
According to an article in
Tuesday's on-line Alton Telegraph, the man
that jumped from the Clark Bridge to his death last week had shot himself
5
times, then drove to Clark Bridge and jumped to his death. For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph.
|
|
Sand
Bar Restaurant ~ Grand Opening Pictures ------
Check
out the Sand Bar website . I just added pictures from the "Grand Opening
Party" last Friday night. Click
on the their link in the upper right hand corner of this web page.
|
|
| 05-03-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day ------ Is
of a blue
sunset as
seen looking
up-river from the Winfield Dam last Saturday evening with one lonely
towboat pushing two barges up river to destinations unknown. This picture is from the
Winfield Dam live Cam.
|
|
Grafton
Towboat Festival ------ The
Grafton Towboat Festival is scheduled for June 25 & 26. Jack
Simpson has a good article about the upcoming festival in the Bitts
& Bytes - Little River Books Newsletter, April 25, 2005.
Open the link and scroll down to the "On the Waterfront" section.
|
|
Body
Pulled From River
------
According to an article in
Monday's on-line Alton Telegraph, a body was
pulled out of the Mississippi River about 1/2 mile west of the Melvin Price
Lock and Dam. Authorities believe it is of the man that jumped from the
Clark Bridge last week.
For the complete
story go to the
On-Line Telegraph. |
|
| 05-0205 |
| The River Picture Of The Day ------
Is of two
geese taking to
flight this last Saturday on the Illinois River. Looks like they are
trying to run on top of the water as well as become airborne. This picture was
taken by Captain Glenn Sadowski who boats out of Woodland Marina on the boat
"High Life". Thanks for the picture Glenn !
|
|
Students
Tour Alton Lock And Dam ------
According to an article in
Friday's on-line Alton Telegraph, students from area schools got to tour
the Melvin Price Lock and Dan last week. For more information go to
On-Line Telegraph. |
|
Welcome
New Sponsor - Luttrell Marine ------- Luttrell Marine is the newest
sponsor on RiverBill's. If you want to buy or sell a boat just contact Rich or
Bob at Luttrell Marine and they will take care of you. They have moved to
a new location
at the Yacht Club of St. Louis, so drop by and check out their new place of
business. Click on their link in the right hand column for more
information, including a map, phone numbers, e-mail address and a link to boat
listings.. |
|
| 05-01-05 |
| The River Picture Of The Day
------
Is of
the Cajun
Cabin that is owned by Gary
and Judy Meinershagen. Gary and Judy boat out of The Yacht Club of St. Louis in "Beads Beads
Beads". I was driving past their club house last week and it seemed
to be sitting there glowing in the sun and wanting of me to stop and take it's
picture. So I did. You have to agree that because of the color, this
place really stands out. The cabin is located on
Lehmond Island and was built in 1959 by Gary's father and uncle. A
person can spot the cabin from the upper end of Dardenne Slough at around the UMR 227.5
mile marker. It sets 2 or 3 houses in from the slough.
Lehmond Island has almost become part of the mainland these days at normal water
levels, but when the water comes up a bit, it is an island. When the
water gets to high Gary and Judy have to go in by small boat, just like they do in
the Louisiana Bayou Cajun Country ~ ~ hence~ ~ "The Cajun
Cabin". The Cajun colors were artfully chosen by Judy ~ ~ Good Job Judy! If you are ever in the neighborhood Gary
says "Stop in and say hello".
Gary and Judy
happen to be in yesterday's "Pic of the Day". Judy is wearing
the "Cajun Cabin" colored top and Gary is beside her in the light tan
jacket. Thanks for sharing the info on your cabin with us !
|
| No
Sign of Man That Jumped From Bridge ------
According to an article in
Friday's on-line Alton Telegraph, the body of the man that jumped from the
Cark Bridge last Wednesday has not been found. For more information go to
On-Line Telegraph. |
|
~~~ RiverBill's Archives~~~
