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| 11-30-05 |
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 Not
Your Normal Patrol ------ is
an article that was
published in the "Western Rivers" magazine about the fire that
destroyed a 47' cruiser in Dardenne Slough on Sept 17. It describes how
the US Coast Guard Auxiliary assisted the Missouri Water Patrol in managing
this unfortunate event. Click
here.
The
pictures shown above, taken by Barbara Rhodes (fire) and Tony Trice
(burned out hull), were also included in the story.
Author: Len Schulte,
of the US
Coast Guard Auxiliary, Division 3, Flotilla 8
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Eagle-Watching
Season Is Ushered In ------ The
Eagle Watching Season was ushered in last Saturday with a ceremony that included
an American Bald Eagle named Liberty in front of the Grafton, IL Village Hall.
Go to the On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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Updated
US Coast Guard Auxiliary links ------ I
updated the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary links in the lower left hand
column of this webpage. Looks like there is some rearranging of
the Flotillas and Divisions going on.
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| 11-29-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day....is of
one of the barefoot
racers in the Mississippi Barefoot Endurance Race race held here back in
October. We also have a close
up of one of the barefoot skiers and one of him riding
along the top of the water on his back after he let go of the rope..
These photos were taken from a helicopter and
are compliments of John Skobrak through Doug Winters of Dri-Port Marine..
River
Bill says...........Thanks for the pictures guys......
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Man
Found Dead In The River ------ According to
a story in Monday's on-line Post Dispatch a man died after riding a wave runner
Saturday afternoon in the Mississippi River. Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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New
Years Day Water Ski Event ------ The Alton
Waterski Cub presents:
Freeze
for life '06 ~ Watersports in January to benefit the ST. Louis
wheelchair athletic association. Check the
Upcoming Events in the left hand column for more info.
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Big
Dicks Halfway Inn Motorsports ------
A few days ago we reported that that Big
Dicks Halfway Inn race team won the World Finals in the Gambler Division
at the World Final Drag Boat Race in Phoenix, Az.
Little John, of Little
John's Marine Service, sent me an e-mail summarizing the teams
experiences this year and tells us a bit about their future
plans. Click
here
Congratulations
Guys !
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More
Info On Grafton Harbor ------ Charles
Wickenhauser, the Manager of Gafton harbor, sent us some additional
info. A Brochure
and a Slip
Rates sheet.
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| 11-28-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day....is of
the Two
Branch Marina crew out in front of Capt'n Jack's Restaurant last Saturday. This crew is
still
boating.
They took advantage of the great Fall weather we had over the weekend and
cruised down river to the captain's for some food and drink . ...........And.....Of course everyone
wants a picture
under the shark.
Pictures submitted by Captain Ronnie
Stevens and Captain Rick Flier..
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Body
Found In Cuivre River------ According to an article in
Friday's on-line Post Dispatch two hunters found a body of a man floating in the
Cuivre River just south of Old Monroe, an apparent suicide. Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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| 11-27-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day....is of Kim
and Kevin Powers and their wedding party at Captain Jack's
yesterday.... celebrating the big day. Every wedding party has to get
their picture
taken under the shark, of course the Bride
and the Brides Maids have to get on the bar......And........Don't forget
the the
lovely Bride's garter. Photos by Captain Ron
Stevens.
Congratulations
Mr.
and Mrs. Powers !
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| 11-26-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day....is a river
sunset. This shot was taken a few weeks ago as we were coming out of
Bolter chute looking up-river towards Kinder's.
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Upcoming Events
------- I have added information about some "Eagle
Events" , The 2006 Grafton Flea Market and the "Lewis & Clark Arrival Day at Camp
Dubois" to the Upcoming Events Calendar in the left hand column.
Take Look !
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River
Dawgs ~ Updates ------ I added the River Dawg "Taz"
from 10-11-05 to the river Dawg Page......More to come soon...............
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Another
River-Link ------ I added another River-Link in the left-hand column:
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Luttrell
Marine Has new featured boat. ------
It's a 1977 41 ' Chris Craft Commander Motoryacht. Click on their Ad in
the right hand column .....And.....Check it out
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| 11-25-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day....is of
the drag
boat that won the World Finals in the Gambler Division. Yes.......Some
of our fellow boaters brought home the honors in the world of drag boat racing
! Keith and Little John of Big
Dicks Halfway Inn race team won the World Finals in the Gambler Division
at the World
Final Drag Boat Races in Pheonix, Az.
Congratulations
Guys !
More
info to follow
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Downtown
Flood Walls And Levees ------ There
was an article in
Wednesday's on-line Post Dispatch about Federal funding and the current plans
for repairs to the downtown St. Louis flood walls and levees.
Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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A
Few More New River-Links ------ I added a few more
River-Links in the left-hand column as follows:
I had a picture of a few of the Mississippi
barefoot skiers on RiverBill's on 9 Oct. More pictures and info coming
soon.
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Illinois
Legislator & The Asian Carp ------ According
to a Nov. 5th press release by the State of Illinois, Gov.
Blagojevich announced that $100,000 in funding has been provided to conduct a
survey to find possible solutions for managing the invasive Asian carp in the
Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Click
here to read the press release.
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| 11-24-05 |
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HAPPY
THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE ------- This
is last years picture, but I think it's good for one more time. This tow
is probably pushing a load
of Thanksgiving goodies down river -- turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green
bean casserole, pumpkin pie and after dinner drinks !
Lets be thankful today for everything we have.......Our health, friends,
family and our good fortunes.
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| 11-23-05 |
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Grafton
Ferry Picture Contest Winner for November ------- is Captain
Robert "Slow Ride" Cope.
His picture is of the Grafton Ferry going through the chute between the
islands that separate the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers at the confluence of
the two rivers. Robert captured the autumn colors on the tree nearest to
us that seems to jump out in front of everything else in the picture, which
really contrasts to the greenery on the island on the other side of the
ferry. In the background are the bluffs along the Great River Road
....And Oh Yeah...That blue water on a bright and sunny Fall day. Looks
like a good day to take a ride on the Ferry.
Congrats Robert !
You have won 2 round trip tickets for the Grafton Ferry.
Go
to the Grafton Ferry web page and click on Picture Contest to see all of this
month's entries.....Thanks everyone for entering...And..... try again next
month.
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Alton Water Ski
Club ------- A hot-link to the "Alton Water Ski Club" has been
added under the "Boating & Social Clubs" heading in the left
hand column. Check them out !
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Boat Shows -------
I know it's early....Real early ! .......... I added the "St. Louis
Boat & Sport Show" ....As well as the ......."The St. Charles
Boat Show" to the Upcoming Events Calendar in the left hand column.
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PICTURES TO ENLARGE
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| 11-22-05 |
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Our
River Picture(s) of the Day ------
are of the excavating
at the
new Grafton Harbor.
Charles Wickenhauser, the Manager of the Harbor, submitted the above pictures
along with the following e-mail update on the progress at the harbor ;
Hello
Bill,
I thought I would submit an update on the Grafton Harbor.
To expedite completion we have contracted Shoremaster to
furnish us with turnkey completion of the docks. What this
means is that the docks are being constructed at the same time
as the excavation.
Since
they obviously can't be constructing docks in the midst of
excavation the docks are being constructed offsite and will be
floated in complete and ready to hook up. We literally make
three
(water,
sewer and electric) hookups and they are operational.
Using this production method will allow us to begin accepting
new slipholder and transient boats into the Marina as early as
March 1st, 2006.
Regards,
Charles
Wickenhauser
Manager
graftonharbor@grafton-il.net
(e-mail)
www.graftonharbor.net
(website)
Phone
618-786-7678
Fax
618-786
Contact Charles at the e-mail address noted above for more
information on.... slip rates and a harbor brochure.
Click here for slip
layout .
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Grafton
Ferry ~ Picture Contest ------- Will be announced tomorrow .....Needed
one more day to get things ready ----Sorry for the delay.
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| 11-21-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is of the new
condo's they are building at the waters edge just outside of Grafton.
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Wilding
The River------ According to an article in
Sunday's on-line Post Dispatch a non profit group called the American Land
Conservancy has established the Mississippi River Conservation
Partnership. The group acquires land from farmers that want to quit
farming in the flood planes of the Mississippi River and restores it as
wetlands.
Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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Grafton
Ferry Picture Contest------ We
are going to announce the winner of this month's Grafton Ferry Picture Contest
tomorrow ! Stayed tuned.
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Towboat
Fire ------ 5
KSDK.com and the on-line Post Dispatch reported a towboat fire on the
Mississippi River last Friday morning aboard the Wendy Ann when the boat was
near Arsenal Street. For more information go to 5ksdk.com.
(with video) and STLtoday
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Lights
on Clark Bridge Checked and Replaced------ There
was a very short article in Saturday's on-line Alton Telegraph about Wegman
Electric checking and replacing the non-functioning lights on the Clark Bridge..
Go to the On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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| 11-20-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is a panorama shot of the bluffs taken by Captain Robert "Slow Ride"
Cope taken on Oct. 20th. Click
here for a full size 30' long picture that you should be able to scroll
across your computer screen.
River
Bill says......Thanks for the neat picture Robert.....And.....Keep them coming.
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| 11-19-05 |
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Our
River Picture(s) of the Day ------
and "A Bit of Sailboat Wisdom" are
from Captain Harry Ragland, of the sailboat "Tapacolo".
Harry wrote in his e-mail:
When in trouble or in
doubt, sail
in circles, scream and shout
While beating on port tack “Suete Deern” had the bluffs on her lee.
Pinching up to avoid the shore she lost way, then tacking to starboard she
missed stays. To escape irons her crew back winded the jib, but then
sheeted home before she gained way causing her to miss stays again.
Captain Heald then went to gybe-and-ware to starboard but the crew had too much
slack in the sheets. The jib blew out ahead and wrapped the forestay.
With the jib wrapped the ship could not be trimmed to beat, and the shore was
too close to ware back to port. In the end the crew manhandled the jib
back around and finally got her in trim.
Translation for power boaters…Don’t get caught by your friend’s digital
camera.
River
Bill says......Thanks for the sail-boating story and the great pictures Harry!
Very well written.........Keep them coming........
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The
Sand Bar Restaurant------ The Sand
Bar Restaurant at Lake Center Marina is closing for the winter after this
weekend. Make sure to stop by and visit one last time with Scott and
Robbin this weekend and take part in the Meat Shoot on Saturday.
River
Bill says......A big Mississippi River thanks goes out to Scott and Robbin from
all of us for serving up the food, drinks and entertainment this past
Summer.......See you next Spring.
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| 11-18-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is another entry for the Grafton Ferry~ Picture Contest. This one was
sent in by Dave Kelly of the cruiser Gypsy Rose out of Woodland Marina.
He snapped a picture of the
ferry heading for the chute between islands that separate the Mississippi
and Illinois rivers as it was heading towards Grafton.
River
Bill says...........Good picture Dave !
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Capt'n
Jack's is Expanding the Building------
Capt'n Jack and Dennise told me the other night that they are going to add a
60 ft room addition on the down-stream side of the existing restaurant
building this winter...........And then....complement the new construction
with a wrap-around deck and some volleyball courts. It ought-a-be great
!
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Gramp's
1978 Berreta and the Terminator-----
Llyod Dorn sent me the pictures shown above of his boat and his
grandson......... along with the following e-mail:
These
pictures were taken earlier this summer on the Dardenne Slough near the Golden
Eagle Ferry and Island 521. This is one of my grandson's I
call him my body guard, 20 yrs old and still growing. I refer to him as the
Terminator. The1978, 16 foot Berreta was stored in my garage for 10
years till we took it out this summer.
River
Bill says...........Nice looking boat
Lloyd. Glad you decided to get her out of the garage and get her the
bottom wet again. Looks to me that both the boat and the Terminator are
enjoying the river. Welcome back !
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| 11-17-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is another entry for the Grafton Ferry~ Picture Contest. This one was
sent in by Robert "Slow Ride" Cope. It's of the ferry
coming out of the cut-through chute between the Illinois and Mississippi
Rivers.....heading towards the ferry landing on the Missouri bank.
River
Bill says...........Neat picture Robert....Keep them coming
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| 11-16-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is another entry for the Grafton Ferry Picture Contest. This collage is
from the 2004
Con Trios Yacht Club's Full Moon Cruise on the Grafton
Ferry...........Sent in by Judy Meinershagen.
The Con Trios Yacht Club rents the ferry on a full moon summer night, gets a
band, some food, a few drinks and cruises the river until the wee hours of the
morning......It's a blast.
River
Bill says...........Good set of pictures Judy.
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Wood
River Levee----- There
was an article in Monday's on-line Alton Telegraph about federal support for
the Wood River Levee and the work that needs to be done. The 26 mile
levee is in no imminent danger of failing, but key mechanical components need
replacing. The levee protects 13,700 acres of land in Alton, East Alton,
Wood River, Roxana, South Roxana and Hartford..
Go to the On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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| 11-15-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is of a River
Rat Club road sign on the riverbank near Capt'n Jack's. This pic was
sent in by our good friend Robert "Slow Ride" Cope.
River
Bill says....Thanks for the picture Robert....And........Keep them coming.
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Alton
Marina Repairs------ There
was an article in Monday's on-line Alton Telegraph about the work going on at
the Alton Marina repairing the damage from a storm earlier this year.
Go to the On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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| 11-14-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------
is of Steve
and Linda
Thompson of the boat "Shark Bait" on the Grafton Ferry....... Yes,
it is their entry into the Grafton Ferry Picture Contest. Looks like
they are heading towards the Missouri side of the river ...You can see the
Loading Dock and the bluffs in the background.
Bill
says......Good pictures !
Still time to send your entry...
Must apologize.... for I have some older
entries I have not posted yet...Should see them this week.
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| 11-13-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ was
sent in by Captain John Armantout. It's a deer swimming across the
Illinois River near Hardin a couple of weeks ago...
John
wrote in his e-mail;
My
girlfriend (Jen) and I (John Armantrout) we're heading up to Mel's last Thursday
(Nov 4) for lunch when we spotted this 12 point buck swimming across the river.
We decided to sneak in close enough for a look and a couple of pictures and then
let him finish his journey undisturbed. The Illinois is really wide just below
Mel's but he was looking like it was a walk in the park for him. Although the
shots are grainy (camera phone) you can still make out the monster buck. What an
awesome view. 25 yrs. Boating and this is the first time I
have seen this. I know our readers will love to see it!
River Bill says....Wow - what a sighting
John..........I have only seen a deer swim across one time in my 37 years of
boating on the river. It was about this time of year in the mid 70's and
he started from the back of Dardene Slough, near the high water ferry landing,
and went straight across, all the way to the ferry landing ramp right above
Kinders. Like you said it was a walk in the park for him.....An awesome
sight.
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Locks
Bill Stalls ------
According to an article in Saturday's on-line Post Dispatch the legislation
for building new locks on the Mississippi River and Illinois River is most
likely dead for this year. The bill has passed in the House but has
stalled in the U.S. Senate.
Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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Wood
River Levee------ There
was an article in Saturday's on-line Alton Telegraph about Federal finanical
support for continued work on the ailing Wood River Levee. Go to the
On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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RiverBill's
Archives ------ I
started breaking up and indexing the Archives. The file size is smaller
so you can retrieve them faster. There will be some parts missing
for a while until I am D-U-N........Done.
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| 11-12-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ is
another one of the Fall colors, the
bluffs, the blue sky with those puffy white clouds and our
river. This is another great river pic sent in by Randy Bicknese,
of the boat "Lady Di",
River
Bill says......Thanks Randy for the great pictures and keep them coming !
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Newest
Edition to Greg Lewis's Family ------ Greg
Lewis, of Lewis
Engines , has a new grandson.......... Connor
Thomas Hinkle, born 22 October...6 lbs, 14 ozs. Baby
and mom are doing just fine !
River
Bill says......Congrats to Greg and the whole Lewis family !
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| 11-11-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ was
sent in by Randy Bicknese of the boat "Lady Di". I am going to
name the picture "The Birds"....Actually it's a flock
of gulls and a white pelican. Can you spot him ?
Randy
wrote in his e-mail;
We
snapped the attached photos yesterday (Sun, Nov.6) while heading up to
Mel's Riverdock Restaurant in Hardin, IL for a Sunday feast.
Mel's is open all year and has great specials on Sunday. The sea
gulls really liked the popcorn and chips we had on the trip there. A white
pelican even got in on the action for a while. I have never seen a Pelican
follow a boat for popcorn. He must have been refueling while waiting for the
rest of the flock.
River
Bill says......Thanks Randy for the great pictures and the info on Mel's !
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Con
Trios Yacht Club - Holiday Party ------ Con
Trios members....Remember to sign up for the Holiday Party at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel on Dec. 3rd. Stop by the Hospitality room, visit with
your River Friends, enjoy the great food and dance into the night to the
sounds of "The Facts of Life Band". For more info go to
the Con Trios website by clicking on their link in the left hand column of
this page. See you there !
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FYI
~ Thursday's River Picture of the Day ------ I Forgot to mention that the "ferry
launch story" and ferry launch picture album that I posted on Thursday
for Captain Daryll Weil is his entry into the
Grafton Ferry picture contest. . http://www.captainweil.com/bluewaterlaunching/
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More
Halloween pictures, Sea Ray Cruise Club pictures, Grafton Ferry Contest
pictures ....And...Even some 2005 Jamaica Daze pictures ------
are coming.... ....So.....keep
that anchor right where it is at....we will have them on-line
soon...
Bill says......I am running way behind because of computer problems...The last
few weeks have been like trying to get back to the harbor..... after breaking
2 blades off of your 3 blade prop.
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| 11-10-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ is
from Captain Daryll Weil. he watched them launch one of the Grafton
Ferry Tugs yesterday, the Bluewater"
and documented it for us in pictures.
Daryll
wrote in his e-mail:
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The
Grafton
Ferry tug "Bluewater" is back in the water after extensive rework
at Polestar Marina.
Little
John from Little
John's Marine Service replaced quite a bit of steel plate on the hull,
revamped the fuel tanks and quite a bit of other work while it was in drydock.
Having missed the lifting of the 71 ton boat with a 60 ton travellift I had to
be there for the relaunching. Seems the biggest problem is the fact there
is a slight grade from the lift's catwalks over the water to the parking lot and
they had to help the lift with a truck to get it up the grade. Going back
down the grade the plan was to have Steve in a bulldozer hooked to the tug with
a cable so in case it tried to runaway he could drop the bucket and tines and
stop the whole thing. Yeah, I agree, sounded pretty cool to me too!
Of course I have seen Little John do lots of things like this so I wasn't too
worried. Well, other than having to replace a cracked wheel bearing
housing on the lift and a small hydraulic leak, everything went amazingly
smooth. There wasn't even any hootin' an' hollerin', didn't hear a single
"MF", didn't even have to go to plan B if there was one. Pete
was even smiling when it all worked out. Beautiful cool day on the river
made it even better. Check out the pics at:
http://www.captainweil.com/bluewaterlaunching/
to
see some pics of it while the work was being done go to:
http://www.captainweil.com/Mississippi20050920/
Enjoy, Darryll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
River
Bill says......Thanks for the great pictures and story Daryll
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| 11-09-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ is
from Teresa Dorlac. She took this great shot of the bluffs
sandwiched between the blue sky and the blue river while on a boat trip to
Cedar Hill Restaurant last weekend with the Sea Ray Cruise Club.
River
Bill says......Thanks Teresa !
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More
Halloween Pictures ------ I
posted pictures from the Con Trios Yacht Club / Sharky's Cove Halloween Party
on the Con Trios website. Click on the
"Con Trios Yacht Club" hot-link in the left hand column of this web
page...And...Take a LOOK !
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Mel's
Dinner ------ Captain
Randy Bicknese of the boat "Lady Di" took a boat ride up the
Illinois River to Mel's last Sunday and is reporting that the restaurant
will be "Open All Year". I have a few of his trip
pictures to post later this week....Stay tuned !
Bill
says...Thanks for the info Randy.....
The "Who's
Open / Who's Closed" page has been updated .
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St.
Charles County Restaurant Ratings ------
A couple of the River Restaurants were checked by the St. Charles County
inspectors and written up for violations. The report is in the on-line
Post Dispatch.
Go to STLtoday
for the all of the info.
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| 11-08-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ Is
from Mike Kolisch, of the boat "Cool Breeze".........it is another
entry in the Grafton Ferry Picture Contest. Mike snapped this one as the
ferry
was heading towards the landing on the Grafton side of the river on Oct.
25th. ......More contest entries tomorrow.
River
Bill says......send us your entry...There is plenty of time yet !
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More
Halloween Pictures ------ Finally
got a few more Halloween pictures on-line.
Today's are from Capt'n
Jack's. Take a look !
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Adolphus
Busch IV and the Great River Habitat Alliance ------
KSDK News Channel 5 ran a report on Sunday about Adolphus Busch
IV, the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance that he formed, his love for the
river and his fight against flood plain development. For more information go to
5ksdk.com.
River
Bill says....Stop the levee's and the flood plain development !
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| 11-07-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ Is
of Steve
Huebner serving-up Mike Vitale some hot, hot stew on Saturday evening at
Judy and Gary Meinershagen's Stewfest. Gary and Judy provided the basic
stew and everyone brought their own surprise ingredient and added it to the
stew pot......30 gallons of river stew and I will attest that it was Goooooood
....Dern Good !
I
had problems with my camera that night and most of my pictures came out blurry,
but I managed to get a clear one of Phil
checking out the heat index of the bon fire and one of Laura,
Bob and Judy smiling for the camera.
Bill says....Thanks Gary and Judy for another great Stewfest !
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River
Halloween Pictures:. Here a
few more River Halloween pictures....It's the The
Adams Family.........And.........Sh_t
People
Hope to have the rest of the Halloween pics on-line this week !
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| 11-06-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ Is
of Suzie
Q .......a real River Dawg !........ Owner Robert "Slow
Ride" Cope.
Bill
says.........Thanks for the picture Robert.
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| 11-05-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ Is
of Mike
and Sherri Stanczak....... "Enjoying the Last Days Of Summer."
....... And... one of the best places to do that is on a sand bar on the
Mississippi River. You might have also seen these guys flying
around above the river in their red & white powered parachute.
Bill
says.....Thanks for the picture
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| 11-04-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ Is
another picture of the vry same spot along the bluffs that we had on
RiverBill's a couple of days ago. (Wednesday). This one was taken
by Dave Kelly last Sunday. Dave is the captain of the cruiser 'Gypsy
Rose" out of Woodland Marina. ...The
bluffs, the River Road, a sailboat, the fall colors....you can't
beat it.
Dave
wrote in his e-mail:
"JUST
A FALL DAY ON THE RIVER. DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS? WHAT A
SHAME MOST PEOPLE PUT THERE BOATS AWAY SO SOON."
Bill
says....Thanks for the pictures Dave.........And....Keep on boating !
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Fall
Colors ------ They reported
on the Thursday night.... 10PM..Channel 5 News that the fall colors are
peaking right now....So get out a enjoy them while you can.
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| 11-03-05 |
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Our
River Pictures of the Day ------ I
am going to name "Dock
Full". They were taken by Bruce Panus, of Port Arrowhead
Marina, while at Cedar Hill Restaurant last Sunday. The Sea Ray Cruise
Club had their "Cedar Hill Run" and it was also the last day
of the season for the restaurant. Looks like the boats
were packed in every available dock space ! There was even a
bit of double parking going on. After everyone got their boats tied up
it was time for some socializing
on the patio.
Bill
says....Thanks for the pictures....And ...Anyone interested in joining in
on a cruise should contact JD Schmid at 1- 866 - 356- 5872
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Who's
Open...Who's Closed ------
A ... "Whos' Open and Who's Closed"... page has been
added to RiverBill's . Click on the hot-link in the left hand column and
Check it Out !
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On-Line
Mark Twain Library-----
Brian of the boat "Called In Sick" sent me a e-mail about an on-line
library that contains Mark Twain books. Check It Out !
http://www.online-literature.com/twain/
If
you interested in the book "Life On The Mississippi"
....Click on the link below
http://www.online-literature.com/twain/life_mississippi/
Thanks
for the info Brian ...And ...I added your links to the River Reading page
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St.
Pete Beach Trip ------
Captain Darryll Weil and some of the River Crew went to St. Petersburg,
Florida to celebrate Connie & Craig's wedding anniversary. Go
to http://www.captainweil.com/stpete2005/index.htm
to take a look at their pictures.
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| 11-02-05 |
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Our
River Pictures of the Day ------ were
sent by two different boaters just a few days apart from each
other. Harry Ragland, who had Monday's pic of the day, sent me the
top picture and Robert "Slow Ride" Cope sent in the bottom
picture.
I think that the two pictures really compliment each other because Harry's is a
great shot of a large area the
river, the fall colors and the bluffs with Principia College on
top.......And.......Robert's picture is of the same area, only a
unique close-up shot of one of the rock formations that sort of lines
up with the steeple in the picture.
Bill
says....Thanks for the great pictures....And...keep them coming.
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Who's
Open...Who's Closed ------
A few bars and restaurants closed or changed their hours this past
weekend:
- Cedar Hill is closed for the season
- Long Shot Saloon at Portage Des Sioux is closed for the season
- Kinder's is closed, but may open during the 1st and 2nd weekends in
Nov. if the weather is good. Call first !
-
The Sand Bar Restaurant is planning to be open on the weekends throug
Nov.
-
Captain Jacks is planning to remain open
-
Sharky's is open
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River
Levels Charts------
As of 10:30 PM on Tuesday (11-01-05).... the Corps of Engineers
on-line river level data is not being updated. It has not updated since
11PM on Monday, therefore RiverBill's charts at the top of this page are not
being updated.
An e-mail has been sent alerting them of the problem. .
Thanks,
Bill
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Little
Dixie Highway & River Towns ------
There was an article in Tuesday's on-line Post Dispatch about the Little Dixie
Highway (highway 79) and how it has brought prosperity to some small towns
along the Mississippi River. (Clarksville & Louisiana, Mo) The
highway starts at Clarksville and runs 30 miles north to the Pike County
line and has been designated a national scenic byway The US
Secretary of Transportation recognizes America's Byways as "treasured
roads".
Go to STLtoday
to for the complete story.
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St.
Louis Flood Wall Improvements ------
KSDK News Channel 5 reported on Tuesday that St. Louis
Mayor Francois Slay is urging city residents to approve a bond issue for
improvements on the flood wall along the Mississippi River.. For more information go to
5ksdk.com.
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Life
On The Mississippi ...By Mark Twain------
We have to have this book on our reading list ! I am adding
it per Dave Barron's recommendation........Dave wrote in his e-mail:
I
noticed your new link to recommended river reading and wanted to add my own
favorite. "Life on the Mississippi" ...by Mark
Twain.
I first read it as a child with my parents, and had to reread it a couple of
times in my life. Tells an interesting story of how things were
before the Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers VHF radio, radar and
sounders.
Bills
says.......Thanks for the recommendation Brad. I added the book to our
list.
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| 11-01-05 |
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Our
River Picture of the Day ------ is
of Gungadin,
a Gulf 27 pilothouse that belongs to Harry Ragland. Harry wrote in
his e-mail:
"She comes out to play when the winds really start to blow. The pilothouse
lets her sail long into the fall.
When something breaks 30 feet up your mast, you go up in a bossun's chair.
It can be a bit scary, but the view is excellent. Here
you can see many of the sailboats in Sioux Harbor."
Bill
says.....Thanks for the pictures Harry. The colored sail sure plays good
with the autumn colors along the bluffs in the picture of Gungadin !
That is a classy looking sailboat. Send us some more sailing
pictures !
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Jenna
- A River Dawg In Training ------
Capt'n Tony Trice sent us a picture of his River
Dawg named Jenna.
In
his e-mail Tony wrote:
"Here
is a picture of Jenna,
our rescued racing Greyhound, trying to be a River Dawg.......She is just in the
learning stage and needs her PDF on ! "
River
Bill says.......Thanks for the picture Tony ! Keep working with her, she will
make a fine River Dawg
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Low
Water Advisory For UMR- St. Louis------ The US Coast Guard in
conjunction with RIAC and the Army Corps of Engineers has issued a safety
advisory about low water conditions for the upper Mississippi River. See
ITCS
Memo 2308.
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Riverside
Marina Has pulled Gas Docks Out------ According
to a report from Captain Tony Trice Riverside Harbor on the Dardenne Slough at
UMR 227 mile marker has pulled their gas docks out of the water.
Thanks for the info Tony !
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Work
on Auxiliary Lock At Lock and Dam 27------ There
was an article in Monday's on-line Alton Telegraph about the work that is
being done on the auxiliary lock at Lock and Dam 27 at Granite
City. The work began Oct 12 and is scheduled to take 55 days during
which the lock will be closed. Go to the On-Line
Telegraph for the complete story.
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~~~ RiverBill's Archives~~~
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