RiverBills

~~~~~~ *RiverBill's Archives~~~~~~ November 2006* A WEBSITE FOR THE BOATING COMMUNITY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI RIVERS

Thirsty Thursday ..... 30 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day....... is of a River Dawg, named Gypsy. The owner is Dave Kelly, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser "Gypsy Rose". Gypsy is River Dawg # 54...... Click here to check out all of RiverBill's River Dawgs.


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*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was named "Not Your Normal patrol" ------ it was about an article that was published in the "Western Rivers" magazine concerning the fire that destroyed a 47' cruiser in Dardenne Slough on Sept 17, 2005. The article described 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 The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was of the Bluffs on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River just down-river from Winfield Lock and Dam. The towboat America can be seen near the left side of the pic in its old mooring spot by the ferry landing.

*November 30, 1835 in River History* *----* Author Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on this day in Florida, Missouri. Better known by his pen name Mark Twain. Click here for more information

Wednesday ..... 29 November 2006 ....


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Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day....... are from a friend of mine, Mindy Blume. Mindy wrote: Hey, Bill, Some of my friends.... Tom & Mary Lou Smith took me and Keith out on their boat. It was great Mindy Blume

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of some of the barefoot racers in the Mississippi Barefoot Endurance Race race held here in October last year. We also had 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 tje chase helicopter and are compliments of John Skobrak through Doug Winters of Dri-Port Marine.. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was of a couple of houses with great views. The houses almost blend in with those chalky white bluffs while contrasting a bit to those brownish Fall colors..

*Mississippi Queen...Crack in Hull Repaired ------* According to a news article in the on-line Waterways Journal ..... the Mississippi Queen had a crack in the hull that was repaired at St. Louis. Click here to read the article in the Waterways Journal

*A Bit Of River History* ---- In 1849 major flooding on the Mississippi River inundated East St. Louis, IL. ……And…. in 1877 the streets of the city were raised by as much as 10 feet in an attempt to lessen the flooding problems Click here for more information

*Con Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party* ------ Don't forget......The party is this coming weekend. Crown Plaza Hotel (Lindbergh & Highway 70) Bridgeton, Mo Music by Rail For more information click here. Go to ..........http://www.contriosyachtclub.org/

Tuesday ..... 28 November 2006 ....


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Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day....... are from Rick Estes, who hails out of Lake Center Marina in the boat "Y2Katy". Rick wrote: Hey, Bill, Thanks to procrastination, we had one more great day on the water. We've been putting off winterizing the Y2Katy for weeks now and seeing how old man winter took a few days off, Mary and I cruised down to the Grafton Harbor on Friday. We had an excellent lunch at the Grafton Harbor Bar and Grill, then we headed upriver to the Two Branch sluice and spent a couple of very relaxing hours on the boat and on the sandbar. But unfortunately, we did end up winterizing after we got back to Lake Center. I guess the fun's over until next spring. Rick, Mary and Katy Estes RiverBill says..... Your right...Ol' Man Winter is just around the corner, cold weather is moving this way quickly. I see that the autographed buoy is still standing on the sandbar behind Two Branch Island. Thanks for the pictures.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of the Two Branch Marina crew out in front of Capt'n Jack's Restaurant.. This crew was still boating . at this time last year, so they took advantage of the great Fall weather we had lat year at thia time 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 Capt'n Ron Stevens and Capt'n Rick Flier..

*Plans For A Grafton Lighthouse ------* According to a news article in the on-line Alton Telegraph ..... there are plans in work to construct a lighthouse at the end of Grafton Harbor's rock dike breakwater. It will be built as a symbol of the city’s renewal after the Great Flood of 1993. Click here to read the article in the on-line Telegraph.

*ITCS Memo ......Closing Auxiliary Lock at Melvin Price Lock & Dam ----* The auxiliary lock at Melvin Price Lock and Dam, will be closed from Monday.... 27 November 2006...... until..... 30 December 2006.due to dredging of the chamber.. Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2441

*Pictures From Boat World Finals ------* Capt'n Darryll Weil has updated Little John's website with pictures they took while on the trip to Phoenix for the Drag Boat World Finals. Click here and check them out.

Bald Eagle Program ------ A news article in the on-line Alton Telegraph ..... described last weekend's Eagle Days in Grafton where folks got to see a live eagle up close. Last weekend's event was the first live eagle showing of the season, but more eagle-related events are scheduled the entire month of January.....And more showings, seminars and tours throughout the winter. Click here to read the article in the on-line Telegraph.

*River Heritage Parkway ------* According to a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch..... There is a move underway to re-name the road, know as the Berm Highway, that runs along the Mississippi River from downtown Alton to Illinois Route 3 in Wood River as the .... the River Heritage Parkway. Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

Monday ..... 27 November 2006 ....


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Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day....... are from Judy Meinershagen, who hails out of the Yacht Club in the Houseboat..... "Beads, Beads, Beads". Judy wrote in her e-mail: It was a beautiful Saturday, November 25, with the temps in the 70's. Beautiful day for a boat ride, right? Greg and Peggy Coletta jumped into the Shark with some River friends and off they go. They were not gone from the Yacht Club of St. Louis .....15 minutes when Scott and Lisa Hickey (Ching), received a distress call that the Shark had run aground and was taking on water. Scott, Lisa, Gary and Judy (Meinershagen) jumped into the Ching and off we went to the rescue. When we got to the Shark, we could clearly see that an I/O was not going to be able to get in close enough to pull him off the sand. To the rescue comes River Runner (Carl and Mary Tiemann and friends). After about two hours of maneuvering and pumping water out of the Shark (thanks to Steve Huebner), they were able to turn the Shark around and begin the move back to the Yacht Club. Greg found a little humor once we got close to the Yacht Club, and held up the Sign "For Sale by Owner". Just another typical day on the River with boating friends. RiverBill says......It's good to have friends willing to drop everything in a moments notice and go help a fellow boater in distress. These are real boaters and true river people. Good job everyone !


*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of Kim and Kevin Powers and their wedding party at Captain Jack's .... 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......were some of a Fantastic Sunrise as seen from Mike D's house on the Mississippi River around the UMR 231.5 mile marker. The second picture he sent in was taken a bit later as the sun got a little higher sky. I think this Sunrise is suitable for framing. Thanks Mike. RiverBill says...Make sure to take a look at the sunrises above....They are fantastic !

Fri, Sat & Sun ..... 24, 25 & 26 November 2006 ....


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Our River Picture of the Day.....Sunday........ is of yesterday evening's sunset. Almost looks as if the sky is on fire. This shot was taken just down river from John's Boat Harbor.


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Our River Picture of the Day.....Saturday........ is of some boaters taking advantage of the un-seasonably warm weather on Friday afternoon. I spotted this houseboat while at a friend's house up around Two Branch Island yesterday. The reflection of the boat sure stands out in that winter -blue water.



Our River Picture of the Day.....Friday........ is a picture of the Little John's Motorsports Racing Team at the World Finals in Phoenix, Az. Click here to read about their 10 day trip and all the adventure's the team faced traveling to and from the World Finals. It's quite interesting. RiverBill says...Thanks for the pictures and trip repot ! Sounds like it was one of those trips that you will talk about for a long, long time. Keep on Racing !

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? Sunday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was a river sunset. This shot was taken last year as we were coming out of Bolter chute looking up-river towards Kinder's. Saturday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was a picture 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. Friday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005).......was a picture 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 Cope 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.

*Proposed Recreation Trail For Dardenne Creek ------* According to a news article in the on-line Post Dispatch..... there are plans being made for a recreation trail along 36 miles of the Dardenne Creek. The proposed trail would start in eastern Warren County and follow the creek all the way across St.Charles county to where it flows into the Mississippi River. This "Greenway" will interconnect with other trails being planned to make up the River Ring in the St. Louis Area. Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

*Wood River Levee District Considers Tax Increase ------* According to a news article in the on-line Post Dispatch..... the Wood River Levee District is considering a property tax increase to fund their share of a $29 million modernization of 21 miles of earthen levees in the district. Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

*New Mississippi River Bridge ------* Ran across an article in the on-line Wikipedia encyclopedia about the new proposed bridge over the Mississippi River in down-town St. Louis. For more information click here.

*New Years Day Winter Water Ski Fundraiser* *------* Hello All is it getting to COLD for you ??? Well I thought I would announce an exciting event which I do every year and have done for the past 20 years To all Wake boarders ,water-skiers, friends, is it getting to COLD for you ?????? Well I thought I would announce an exciting event which I do every year and have done for the past 20 years WATER-SKIING ON NEW YEARS DAY on the Mississippi in Front of the ARCH in St Louis CRAZY sure it is but I have done this to raise $$$$$$$$ for Charity. The $$$ raised will promote water-skiing for Disabled Athletes who are now forced to be in Wheelchairs. The money raised is used to purchase specialized water-skis & equipment for the Disabled. We will be doing some Snow Skiing this winter & the we then do an annual Learn to Water Ski Day on Creve Coeur Lake every July with over 50 Disabled Athletes water-skiing for two days ITS AWESOME and we now have a Specialized Wakeboard for them to ride on as well None of this would be available for the Disabled Athletes with out the courage of several people who raise $$$ MONEY & water-ski on New Years Day and the many friends & sponsors who donate their $$ to the event along with the support & sponsorship of STATEAMIND Watersports and TIGE Boats who bring the Boats to the river so we can ski So what do you think are you ready for the CHALLENGE ??? COME OUT AND WATER-SKI WITH ME !!! If your not its OK, your support is important too. Each year many of your have contributed to this event but just think if you asked a friend to donate too!! Our fundraising could easily double We really need people to help us raise $$$$ for Disabled Athletes. Skiers can promote it by having people sponsor them for their Courage going in the cold water, Non Skiers can Promote it by telling friends about the event and asking them to help promote Water-skiing & Snow Skiing for Disabled Athletes & children. Many people have seen us on TV & in the paper every New Years Day. OH did I forget you also have the chance to get yourself on TV or in the News Paper each year if you would like to ski. Do something crazy wear something crazy wear nothing , we have had all kinds of crazy antics so be creative. All skiers who raise over $200 will get a Gift Certificate for a free Water-ski Lesson from Lakeshore Ski Company If you would like to help, ski, attend, raise $$ or any thing please send me your e-mail and I will forward you the necessary info and set some plans for reaching our Goal!!! Send an e-mail to Hotttdog@aol.com Many of you have supported me & contributed to this event for many years just think if you asked your Company, a friend, relative, co-worker or neighbor and they donated we could double our donation to the charity. I HAVE ATTACHED A DONATION SHEET FOR YOUR USE PLEASE take a look and tell someone about the COLD water we will be skiing in and the fun it brings to our Disabled Athletes, I know they will pitch in. I send a letter to friends, customers, relatives and I have people from all around the United States who donate $$ to me each year last year I raised over $9700.00 by myself do you think you can help me break the $10,000.00 goal. I have never done it but have been close several years. PLEASE SEE MY ATTACHMENT PRINT IT OUT AND USE IT TO HELP US Click here. *REMEMBER BE A CHAMPION !!* Kevin Day LAKESHORE SKI CO.

*Update on River Dawg Cody ------* Help us find this special River Dawg a home. Click here for more info.

Thursday ..... 23 November 2006 ....

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*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The picture shown above is an updated version of the "Picture of the Day" from last Thanksgiving (2005) ...... This tow is pushing a load of Thanksgiving goodies down river -- *HAPPY THANKSGIVING*


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Our River Picture of the Day....... is a shot of what I think is a Missouri Water Patrol boat heading up-river earlier this week. .

*Update on Lock and Dam Bill ------* According to a news article in the on-line Post Dispatch..... the "water bill" is running out of time for this session of the US Congress ! This bill would provide almost $4 million in funding for lock and dam improvements on the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, but faces stiff competition. Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

*Update on River Dawg Cody ------* Help us find this special River Dawg a home. Click here for more info.

Wednesday ..... 22 November 2006 ....

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CLICK ON PICTURE FOR A PIC WITH A MUCH BETTER ANGLE !
Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day....... are from Terrie & Brian Bert, of the boat Gulliewash. They wrote: Hey Bill, Took a little trip the other day to watch the sunset- looks like the trees are on fire! Also took a couple pics from the ferry-- Terrie & Brian Bert "The Gulliewash"

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of the excavating at the new Grafton Harbor. Charles Wickenhauser, the Manager of the Harbor, submitted the 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RiverBill says....Well it sure looks different now than it did 1 year ago. I think it's one of the best harbors on Alton Pool. Just about in the middle of everything and at the confluence of the Illinois & Mississippi Rivers ...Plus it's located close to a lot of the Missouri marinas. It's has a nice marina restaurant and it's close to all of the neat things in the city of Grafton.... I have enjoyed all of my stays at the harbor....And even made a few new friends too....... pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4, pic5, pic6

*Turkey Bowl Tonight* ....... at Sharky's, Thanksgiving Eve. Join in the fun.... Roll a frozen turkey across the floor at the set of bowling pins...It's a blast ! Open at 5PM ...... Sharks are playing 8PM - 12PM On-line Turkey Bowling.....Drop your anchor for a while and click here to give it a try. Practice up for Wednesday night ! Note: I had to expand mine to full screen for it to work.

The New Issue of BoatingLifeMag.com is out......... Click here to view it. There is one thing in particular that caught my eye in this month's edition. Under Featured Gear........ They have a "Drill A Drink".... Just attach your cordless drill to the Boatblender and mix-up frozen drinks..... Click here and take a look !

Dutch & the Scoundrel ~~ Update ...... Our river-friend.... Dutch Haughe.. has added a few new scenic pictures to his website. He took them on his trip from St. Louis to the Bahamas....... Click here and check them out ! Dutch is piloting his cruiser "The Scoundrel" .....from St. Louis to the Bahamas to spend the winter. Then around the loop and back to St. Louis. Keep your anchor right here for updates and pictures as he sends them in or click on his website link, TheScoundrel.com , in the left hand column of this web page to check for travel updates.

Tuesday ..... 21 November 2006 ....






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Our River Pictures of the Day....... were taken yesterday evening. It's some shots of the logging company barging cut timber across the main channel of the Mississippi from Two Branch Island to the Missouri side of the river where they are stacked on the bank, loaded on trucks and hauled away. The tow in the picture came to an almost complete stop as it waited for the logging barge and tug to cross the channel and get to it's destination just below Two Branch Marina.. Then the tow just seemed to float past ....as not to make any waves for the loggers. ...And finally they are up against the bank unloading the logs. (taken Sunday)

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of the condo's being built at the waters edge just outside of Grafton.

*River Road Run ------* There was a news article in yesterday's on-line Alton Telegraph about the up-coming River Road Run. Race day is Saturday, Nov. 25, in Downtown Alton. This is the oldest running road races in Illinois.. Click here to read the article in the on-line Telegraph.

*River Reading* ..... Capt'n Johnny Camero sent us an e-mail about a river book he just read. Bill, Just finished a riverbook, Mostly Mississippi, a very damp adventure, by Harold Speakman. It is a telling of a river exploration, top to bottom, during the '20s. It is somewhat surprising that some things never change............................... John Click here to read an on-line review of the book

Monday ..... 20 November 2006 ....


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*Our River Picture of the Day........* is from the USACE web camera located at Winfield lock. Looks like some sort of work barge locking through and heading up-river. Go to http://webcam.crrel.usace.army.mil/lock_dam_25/ and check out today's river -cam pics at Winfield Dam.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was a panorama shot of the bluffs taken by Captain Robert "Slow Ride" Cope. Click here for a full size 30' long picture that you should be able to scroll across your computer screen. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was a Great River Sunset sent in by Debbie House. She took the picture earlier in the fall on the river near Kinder's.

*Show Me The Mississippi* *.....* Added a link to the "Show Me The Mississippi" website. They are a committee within the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce with a mission: To promote the economic growth of the Mississippi River at the Alton Pool through awareness and mutual cooperation. It's a good organization....Click here and check them out.

*Ever Try River Turkey Bowling* *? .......* Head to Sharky's on Wednesday evening and give it a try. Roll a frozen turkey across the floor at the set of bowling pins...Bring your friends......Prizes. John Biando says.....It's a blast.

*Paying Too Much For Boat Insurance ?.......*** Check out Mixon Insurance. Fill out Bill Mixon's on-line quote form for a fast, friendly insurance quote for rates on your boat..

*Missouri Water Patrol's Safety Education Classes* *.....* Added to Upcoming River Events 11/28/2006 -11/29/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6-pm-9pm 12/06/2006 -12/07/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6pm-9pm 12/19/2006 -12/21/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6pm-9pm For more info go to: http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/Education/SafetyClassList.asp

Did You Know ----- that you can sign up for Water Safety Education Classes on-line on the the Missouri Water Patrol website and the Boat Illinois website ? Check it out..... Missouri Water Patrol......... http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/index.htm Boat Illinois ........................http://www.boat-ed.com/il/

Bald Eagle Days At Pere Marquette Stat Park ----- Added December, January and February dates to the upcoming events page. Click here and check them out.
Weekend Report Fri, Sat, Sun ..... 17, 18 & 19 November 2006 ....


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*Our River Picture of the Day....(Sunday)........* is a shot of the Sharks band....at Sharky's floating Restaurant on Saturday night.. Belting out the tunes for everyone dancing pleasure.....Make sure you ask them to play their rendition of "House Of The Rising Sun"......It's good....real good. Head up there this coming Wednesday evening for Turkey Bowling...I heard it's a BLAST !



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*Our River Picture of the Day....(Saturday)........* was sent in by Dave Kelly, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser, GYPSY ROSE. Dave wrote: Bill, Here's a shot you don't often see of the Mississippi Queen as we left Winfield Lock....... she was waiting to enter Dave


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Our River Picture of the Day........ Is of two more River Dawgs... Madison and Mercedes... Sent in by Teresa Dorlac (way back in May 2006...Oops !). Teresa wrote: Life is good for these two River Dawgs ! Please meet Madison (front...a 4 lb., 4 year old Pomeranian) and Mercedes (back..a 6 lb., 6 year old Pomeranian) as they dine on their parent's new 340 Sea Ray Sundancer, while anchored out in the Mississippi River. Parents: Paul & Teresa Dorlac Boat: The J-Crew. These two don't have to worry about being ticketed by the Water Patrol ! Teresa Dorlac

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? Friday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was sent in by Robert "Slow Ride" Cope. It's of the Grafton Ferry coming out of the cut-through chute between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.....heading towards the ferry landing on the Missouri bank. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was of two tows heading down- river past the Ameren U.E. Power Plant near Portage des Sioux, Mo. Saturday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was sent in by Dave Kelly of the cruiser Gypsy Rose out of Woodland Marina. He snapped a picture of the Grafton Ferry heading for the chute between islands that separate the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as it was heading towards Grafton. Sunday The "Picture of the Day" ....Sunday...from one year ago (2005) .......was "A Bit of Sailboat Wisdom" 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. The "Picture of the Day" ...Sunday...from two years ago (2004) .......was of the towboat Captain Bill pushing a load of barges south on the Mississippi River around UMR 234. The Name the rounded lines and the styling of the vessel caught our attention, it looks like it has a fresh coat of paint and everything was all bright and shiny. It even has a large picture window, with drapes, on the 2nd deck that goes all the way across the front of the towboat. I did an internet search and found out that this vessel was built in 1956 and originally was named the "Huntington". To search for pictures and info on a particular towboat take a look at the Photo Center at the LittleRiverBooks.com.

*St. Louis Power Squadron* *.....* Added a link to the St. Louis Power Squadron's website in the left hand column of this page. Welcome aboard ! It's a good organization....Click here and check them out.

*Up Coming Events* *.....* Added a bunch of up-coming river / boater events to the Upcoming Events page of RiverBills. Click here and check them out.

*Missouri Water Patrol's Safety Education Classes* *.....* 11/28/2006 -11/29/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6-pm-9pm 12/06/2006 -12/07/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6pm-9pm 12/19/2006 -12/21/2006 August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 6pm-9pm - 6pm-9pm For more info go to: http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/Education/SafetyClassList.asp

The River RAMS Page ..... @ 4:00PM Capt'n Bert is a boater of the Mighty Mississippi River and loves football almost as much as boating....check out "his view" of this Sunday's up-coming RAMS game. Capt'n Bert Says... YOU MIGHT BE A RIVER RAT IF... You and a buddy are leaning over the bow of a running john boat to pull stumps out of the slough, and the stern comes out of the water with the prop just a-spinnin’ and a-spinnin’. At the time, you and the buddy have no idea what’s going on or why everyone on shore is laughing. You get extra credit for this maneuver if you can pull stumps and trim the river bank foliage at the same time. Click here to read this week's edition of Captain Bert's River RamsPage..... (Caution some adult content at times) Go RAMS !

*RiverBill's Archives* ------ Added Sept - Dec 2004 and 1st part of Nov 2006 to RiverBill's Archives. Click here and check it out.

Clarksville, Missouri....River Town Riverfront Park Project ------ Just ran across a link to the city of Clarksville's Riverfront Park Project. Looks like it will pretty nice when complete...with terracing concrete steps all the way down to the water of the Mississippi River. Click here and check it out. River Heritage Center ------ The City also has a new River Heritage Center that opened July 1, 2006. Click here and check it out.

*Alton Motor Boat Club ~ Annual Turkey Shoot* ------ This Sunday the 19th the Alton Motor Boat club will be having their annual Turkey shoot. This is a family event open to the public. We would like to invite everyone to attend and check out our club. Things will kick off around 11:00 a.m. and will conclude around 7:00 p.m. with a raffle for a 12 gauge shotgun and a 20" flat screen TV. There will be 50/50 drawings and many meat and cheese items on raffle all day inside, there will be a turkey dinner served all day for $6.50 a plate. For those that don't know where we are located...... we are on Lockhaven Rd.(across the River Road from Piasa Harbor the Phillips 66 station) off of the Great River Road just west of the Piasa Creek Public Ramp between Alton and Grafton, turn north on to Lockhaven Rd. and go approx 1/4 mile you can't miss us. We would love to have everyone attend. Thank You, Dan PIlkington

More Pic's From Steve & Sharon's Chili-Fest ------ I dropped about 5 or 6 pictures from the Chili-Fest off the back of the boat yesterday when I was uploading on-line. Anyway.... they have been recovered wand added to the rest of the on-line pictures. Click here and check them out. They are at the bottom of the page.

Grafton's Eagle Day ------ November 25th....Grafton City Hall 1-3pm... See a live bald eagle up close !

Con Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party ------ is December 2 at the Crown Plaza, Music by Rail. For more info click here..

Thirsty Thursday..... 16 November 2006 ....


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Our River Pictures of the Day........ are from Steve & Sharon Huebner's Chili Party last weekend at near Eagles Landing Marina. 35 gallons of chili, 2 bands, a bon fire, plenty of food and lots of river friends. Click here for more pictures of the Chili-fest taken by Frances Kennedy and RiverBill Steve and Sharon send out a big thanks to all that helped put on the party !

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was a collage of pictures 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. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was one featuring the reflection of the River Sun. In this one the setting sun is producing a glow all around the restaurant at Palisades Yacht Club . Palisades is in Portage Des Sioux, Missouri at UMR 212.4.

*Missouri State Water Patrol News Release.....Thefts at Lake Ozarks------* The Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about 2 series of major thefts at Lake Ozarks. One on Nov 9, where 25 boats were broken into and equipment stolen. Another on Nov. 13, where 25 -30 boats were broken in to. The report also includes some good tips about deterring marine thefts. Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060189 The Missouri Water Patrol also has a website about Marine Theft Prevention with more tips.

Con Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party ------ is December 2 at the Crown Plaza, Music by Rail. For more info click here..

Wednesday..... 15 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day........ was sent in by Mark Newlin. Here is true cold weather boater........out in the Mississippi River in a kayak on Ground Hogs Day. Look at the snow on the sandbar. That water has to be really cold. Mark wrote; Bill, This was taken on Ground-hog's day 2003, there was a small sand-bar at the south tip of Two Branch. Actually hit 63 degrees that day. Only made it halfway up the backside of the island because of ice-flow. Mark

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was 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. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was of the sun reflecting off of those chalky White Bluffs along the Great River Road between Grafton and Alton, IL.


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That Unusual Boat Heading Down-River ........ was the INFINITY. It's being piloted by our friends Captain Greg Sadowski, Dave Kelly and Tom Pleimann , who operate out of Woodland Marina. They are on another of their delivery trips. Dave Kelly sent us an e-mail from the boat in this picture after seeing a picture of the boat on RiverBills. Dave wrote: Say Hey Riverbill, Just a note from your twin bro, Dave of "Gypsy Rose". Your pic. of the day is the "INFINITY" on its way to St. Clair Shores, MI. It will be finished in Manitowoc WI., Where it will have the top deck trucked over and installed. This is because it would not have made it under the fixed bridges in Chicago. We had just cleared the lock ahead of the Mississippi queen, noticed the pic on Riverbills. Captn. Greg and brother Glenn took this boat brand new to New York city where they docked 400 feet from the World Trade towers 90 days before 9-11. It was used to carry people across the Hudson that day. It then went to Connecticut for 2 seasons, St. Thomas Virgin islands for a while, Then in Naples, back to LaCrosse for rebuild before heading to it's new home. Greg has about 9,000 actual water miles on this boat. We are currently on the Illinois river just 60 miles below Chicago. (Tuesday evening @3:30PM). Will send some photos after the decks are on. Leaving this boat in Manitowoc and returning to LaCrosse to start down river with a new one later this week. I'll keep you posted Dave,Greg, Tom RiverBill says.... Thanks for the update and info on the "INFINITY". Have a safe trip...And stay in touch.

Kinder's Restaurant .... The website is under construction It's the river.......It's going to be another .net website... Under Construction Go to www.KindersRestaurant.net and check it out ! Keep your anchor right here for more info .

Con Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party ------ is December 2 at the Crown Plaza, Music by Rail. For more info click here..

Flood Forecast Link ------ has been added in the left hand column of this web page under "River Levels & Weather". The web site covers the North Central area of the United States. Click here and check it out.


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Dan"s Boats ........ Bill, This is our latest adventure at Dan’s Boats. Today, Nov, 10 we decided to pull our Regal 4060 from the river for the year. Rather than having it lifted with a travel lift at one of the marina’s, we took the boat to John’s Boat Harbor and pulled it on our 45 ft Yard trailer with our 1 ton Dully. That is Larry Sansone one of our Boat Specialists on the bow of the boat after we pulled it up the ramp. Now that the Regal 4060 is not in the waters of the Mississippi it can be viewed in our Showroom on the N. Service road in Old Town St. Peters. Come by and take a look. Brad Hefferon Dan's Boats www.dansboats.com Your source for Regal Boats, Malibu Boats & Harris Flotebotes! 636-970-DANS

Boats Burglarized at Lake of Ozarks ------ Capt'n Brian Muenks, of the cruiser "Called In Sick", sent us an e-mail with reference to a news article in the on-line Post Dispatch about 50 + boats being burglarized at Lake of Ozarks. Brian wrote: Here's an article about winterized boats being burglarized at the lake...We all need to check on our marina's regularly and report any suspicious activity! Thanks, Brian Click here and to read the story on STLtoday.com

Lost...Tackle Box ------ Hey Bill, I left a tackle box on.... Iowa Island.... beach on, Nov. 9th. Can you post it on the lost and found please? John Armantrout 314-995-3440

Tuesday..... 14 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day........ is of a "unusual looking boat" heading down-river last Sunday afternoon around the Two Branch Island area of the river. (UMR 232). Could be some sort of an excursion boat.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2005) .......was of Steve and Linda Thompson of the boat "Shark Bait" on the Grafton Ferry....... Looks like they are heading towards the Missouri side of the river ...You can see the Loading Dock and the bluffs in the background. The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......and what a coincidence ... it was of the Loading Dock in Grafton Illinois.

*Alligator Snapping Turtles ------* A news story in the Quad City Times reports that the Department of Natural Resources of State of Illinois has a program in place to re-introduce the alligator snapping turtle back into the waters of Illinois. The last alligator snapping turtle sighting was in 1984. They once lived in the swamps along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, can live 100 years and reach a weight of 155 lbs. Click here to read the article in the on-line Quad City Times.

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Progress Report ~~ Dutch & the Scoundrel...... Dutch e-mailed us a progress report his 3nd day out: As I type this e-mail I am in Mississippi the state just entering the Ten-Tom, Town is called Iuka. 10 miles south of Tennessee just across the Ten-Tom from Alabama . Enclosed picture of a little town at the 183 mile marker on the Tennessee River . Dutch & the Scoundrel Dutch also sent us some pictures of Pebble Island and Pebble Island Marina Dutch is piloting his cruiser "The Scoundrel" .....from St. Louis to the Bahamas to spend the winter. Then around the loop and back to St. Louis. Keep your anchor right here for updates and pictures as he sends them in or click on his website link, TheScoundrel.com , in the left hand column of this web page to check for travel updates.


River Dawg "Chelsea" ........ Added "Chelsea" to our River Dawg Page. Chelsea was "Picture of the Day" of the day back on October 14th....and her picture got lost on my desk. We have found it and she is out there with the rest of our beloved River Dawgs. Click here and check them all out. Chelsea belongs to Rich and Linda of the boat named "Sea Lord III"


Monday..... 13 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day........ is shot from the Lock and Dam 25 rivercam. It's the Mississippi Queen leaving the lock at Winfield Dam about 1:45 PM on Sunday afternoon and heading up river. Click here to see what's going on at the lock at Winfield dam right now. Click here and type in "Mississippi Queen" to see where she's at on the river today.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......waas sent in by Captain John Armantout. It's a deer swimming across the Illinois River near Hardin, IL. 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!

Progress Report ~~ Dutch & the Scoundrel...... Dutch e-mailed us a progress report his 2nd day out: November 11 at Green Turtle Bay. Discovered today a Lock 586 miles south of here on the ten tom will be close for maintenance Tues for 6 days. Going to just take it easy and go south at my pleasure to burn up the 6 days still on course headed for warmer weather. Everything is Great. Dutch & the Scoundrel Dutch is piloting his cruiser "The Scoundrel" .....from St. Louis to the Bahamas to spend the winter. Then around the loop and back to St. Louis. Keep your anchor right here for updates and pictures as he sends them in or click on his website link, TheScoundrel.com , in the left hand column of this web page to check for travel updates.

The Waterways Journal ......... has a couple of good river articles with a personal touch this week; One article about Judy Kiges who worked at Lock and Dam 3. She was affectionately known as “Dam Girl” a...Click here to read the article in the Waterways Journal One article about an Army colonel in Iraq who contacted the Rock Island Engineer District because their River Cam was down. Click here to read the article in the Waterways Journal. Click here to go to the Waterways Journal website.

The New Issue of BoatingLifeMag.com is out......... Click here to view the new issue.

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November. Click here for this weeks forecast.
Fri, Sat, Sun..... 10, 11, 12 November 2006 ....


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*Our River Picture of the Day.....(Sunday)...* Is from Capt'n Jeri Levesque. It's some pictures and e-mail about fixing a roller furling on the top of the mast on the sailboat named Sandpiper ! Jeri wrote: Bill, Ralph Pickering, Captain of the S/V Sandpiper, had his first trip on the bosun's seat (A.K.A Soprano Maker) to the top of his mast to fix the roller furling. His sailing buddies at Sioux Harbor, George Levesque (Ex Libris), Len Hughs (As Time Goes By), and Don Morrison (Ragtime Sails) hoisted the main halyard and kept a wary eye. The repair was a success and Ralph could walk just fine in an hour or so. Jeri Levesque S/V Ex Libris


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*Our River Picture of the Day.....(Saturday)...* Is dedicated to all of those in our boating family who have proudly served in our Armed Forces. We pay tribute to you ! One year after World War I drew to a close, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11, 1919 as Armistice Day--a national holiday to celebrate victory in "the war to end all wars." Yet the dream of world of peace was soon shattered as first World War II, then the Korean Conflict called America's troops back to the battlefield. In 1954, Armistice Day was re-named as Veterans Day, a fitting tribute to all the men and women who have defended the cause of freedom around the world. Photograph compliments of Pat Reid and Crystal Photography


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*Our 2nd River Picture of the Day.....(Saturday)...* Is of Mary and Jill, of Kinders Fame, at Mary's birthday party on Friday night at Kinder's Restaurant. Lots of family and friends were on hand to help her celebrate the occasion ! Happy Birthday Mary


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Our River Picture of the Day.....(Friday)... is a fall sunset taken earlier this week from the Golden Eagle Ferry. The setting sun looks really bright as it shines through the bare branches of the taller trees while illuminating the foliage that still exists closer to the ground. The year the sky and the water always look really blue this time of the year..

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? Friday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was from Captain Daryll Weil. He watched them launch one of the Grafton Ferry Tug on this day last year, the Bluewater" and documented it for us in pictures. Daryll wrote in his e-mail: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 dry-dock. Having missed the lifting of the 71 ton boat with a 60 ton travel-lift I had to be there for the re-launching. 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 Saturday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......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. Sunday The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was 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",

Lost...Tackle Box ------ Hey Bill, I left a tackle box on the beach on, Nov. 9th. Can you post it on the lost and found please? John Armantrout 314-995-3440

Found....Great Outdoors All Weather Blanket In Tote Bag ------ Found..... Great Outdoors All Weather Blanket in attached green tote bag on Golden Eagle Ferry.... 4 November, 2006 after Sue and Chuck Beach's hayride. Blanket Color: Green with red and yellow plaid stripes Outside of totebag is solid green with Great Outdoors logo. Has a pair of ladies black gloves in side pocket. e-mail riverbill@prodigy.net to claim it. A big thanks to the guys on the Golden Eagle Ferry for turning it in to RiverBill's..

Grafton Pub Crawl ------Saturday ...Call the Grafton Landing at 618-786- 4745 for more information.

*Kinder's Restaurant's ....* website is under construction It's the river.......It's going to be another .net website... Under Construction Go to www.KindersRestaurant.net and check it out ! Keep your anchor right here for more info .

Mississippi Queen *Cruising The Rivers Again* ------ A news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch reported that the Mississippi Queen left Grafton, IL on Wednesday for it's 1st cruise since a 10-day quarantine and scrub-down. A flu-like illness has plagued the vessel recently. Click here and check it out in STLtoday.com

Dutch Haughe is Leaving the Area..... Our friend Dutch is planning to leave the St. Louis area today (Friday) and head down the Mississippi River in his cruiser "The Scoundrel". He plans to make his way to the Bahamas and spend the winter there. Then around the loop and back to St. Louis. Keep your anchor right here for updates and pictures as he sends them in or click on his website link, TheScoundrel.com , in the left hand column of this web page to check for travel updates. RiverBill says......Have a good trip Dutch, send us lots of pictures and updates. Be safe.

*Missouri State Water Patrol News Release.....Starting Recruit Class....* A training class for 9 new Water Patrol recruits is planned to start on Dec.3 and run through May 2007. After graduation they will receive on-the-job training from an experienced officer. Patrol assignments will be made on a basis of need. Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060188

Thursday..... 09 November 2006 ....

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Our 1st River Picture of the Day..... is a shot taken late yesterday afternoon that I named "Autumn Colors". It's a shot looking up-river at what might be Apple Island Slough. Look at those colors and the reflections in the water. The water always looks so blue this time of the year. This is one of the sloughs that can be seen from the road connecting Highway B to the Golden Eagle Ferry landing on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. My map shows that the ferry landing on the Missouri side of the river is located on "Apple Island". I am guessing that this slough probably ran between Apple Island and the mainland of Missouri at one time. Anyway, it was a pretty sight yesterday !


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Our 2nd River Picture of the Day..... is a shot taken yesterday evening of some sort of logging operation just a short bit down-river from Two Branch Harbor. The main channel of the Mississippi River is in the foreground and Two Branch Island in the distance.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was 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 year with the Sea Ray Cruise Club. River Bill says......Thanks Teresa !

*Jamaica Daze Dreamin........* Capt'n Mike Vitale, who hails out of the Duck Club, in the cruiser "INXS"..... put together a slide show of this year's Jamaica Daze Party for our viewing pleasure. Mike wrote: Hi Bill, It is a sad day when Jamaica Daze is gone for the year. One way of making it last is to re-live it as often as possible. One way I have of doing that is looking at the pictures on a slide show. Good Boating, and I will see you water. http://www.photoshow.net/inxs (minor amount of adult content) Michael Vitale Regional Vice President Merrlin Mortgage Corporation RiverBill says.... Good slide show Mike......lots of good pictures and music too. Seems as if it were just yesterday. Watch for more Jamaica Daze pictures in the next couple of days.

River Facts !! The City of St. Louis built the MacAuthur Bridge across the Mississippi River (1907-1917) to break the monopoly of the Terminal Railroad Association. The Terminal Railroad Association controlled the two other bridges that crossed the river at St. Louis at the time and they charged unreasonable tolls. Source: bridges.midwest.com

Wednesday..... 08 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture And E-mail of the Day..... is from Harry Ragland. He sent us this picture and e-mail in late Summer and it got overlooked somehow.... Soooooo here it is ! Bill, Jeri Levesque sails her Catalina 34 to Grafton Harbor for the Grafton Pub Crawl. Grafton harbor has been working hard to line up activities throughout the season. I joined the Levesques for this weekend's Grafton Pub Crawl. It was lots of fun. By the way, Grafton Harbor has good draft for sailboats. However, stay well away from the stakes marking the shallows near the harbor mouth. Enter from the channel. Do not line up to enter from down stream RiverBill says...Thanks Harry I am going back and looking for other pictures and e-mails that I may have missed during the busy Summer months. So if you sent one in and it didn't get posted, keep your anchor right where it is.......it may just show up on the horizon real soon.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was from Mike Kolisch, of the boat "Cool Breeze".........it was an entry in last year's Grafton Ferry Picture Contest. Mike snapped this one as the ferry was heading towards the landing on the Grafton side of the river .

Great loss to our river family........ Horace E. Allen, Jr. January 11, 1934 - November 03, 2006 Baue Funeral Home, 3950 West Clay Visitation: November 08, 2006 Service: November 09, 2006 A few words from his memorial obituary: "He had a love for the river and was a previous owner of Woodland Marina and Yacht Club, Horace Allen Water Toys and licensed Captain and owner of River Cruises: Yacht Relaxin." Member Con Trios Yacht Club and Duck Club Yacht Club For more information click here


*Racing Update* ------ Little John sent us the following racing update. The raing team is now named Little Johns Motorsports LLC. The picture above is of the new paint job on their trailer. The lettering is the computer lay out will be put on this weekend Little John wrote in his e-mail: Bill Our clock is running, We are leaving for the World Finals in seven days. With Ashly in school, and real jobs for the rest of us, its not been easy, but we are about ready. Our big engine has been freshened up with new bearings and computer. Ashly's wave runner has a fresh pump and carbs. Our race trailer has been totally redone with white Imron. Our new lettering scheme will be done next Sat. (thanks to Ann Lewis & Lewis Boats) The Motor home has a new set of heads, and a lot of detail work. Keith Ruf, myself, and my seven year old grandson, Jordan, are leaving Monday morning with the rigs on our 3500 mile adventure. Jordan has been allowed time off from school to be with us. He is to report in with details of the trip as a school project. He is also a big part of our team. Terrie, Ashly, and Dona Spain are flying out Wed. night to meet us in Phoenix. If things work right, we may be making as many as 30 passes, per boat , in the four days of racing. The trip is expensive, the pace grueling, but the adrenaline rush is priceless. We are very proud of our equipment, and enjoy showing it off With this in mind, if anyone wants to come by Little Johns on Sat. or Sun, the Rigs will be here and ready to go. A warm send off would be Great. WISH US LUCK Little John RiverBill says...Good luck from all your river friends...go get um ...and be safe

*Hannibal - DREAM Designation------* The river town of Hannibal is celebrating it's likelihood of being designated as one of the first "downtowns" inducted into Missouri's "Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri" (DREAM). This imitative will help Hannibal preserve it's historic sites and to permit the city to work with other communities on the river to promote the growing arts. Click here to read the story on stl-news.com

*Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report.........***`is out for the Nov 2nd & 3rd fishing reports for the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.` `Click here for the Mississippi River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.` `Click here for the Illinois River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.` `For the complete report go to http://www.ifishillinois.org`

*Historic Offshore Race Boat Association* ------ We got an e-mail from Capt'n Johnny Camaro with a link to a Historic Offshore Race Boat Association and recommendations about a video of the 390 Chris-Craft Stinger used in the early Miami Vice episodes. John wrote in his e-mail: Bill, If you get a chance, go here and click on the Miami Vice video on the right. 4 1/2 minute excerpt from an early episode w/the original Chris-Craft Stinger 390. Too cool!!!! John

*2007 'Missouri Waterways' Calendars------* Capt'n Johnny Camaro also sent us a link to a Missouri Lottery News Release about the 2007 'Missouri Waterways' Calendar. For more information click here.

*How To Build Your Own Boatmobile------* On-line instructons for building your own one of a kind boat-mobile. You could be the envy of everyone on the river ! Click here and go to BobSokol.com for detailed instructions..... It's a hoot !

*How About Some Wooden Boatmobiles------* Our good friend Karen Crawford, of LNC & RNC fame, send us a link to some pictures of some Woodies that float and double as boats.. Go to liviodemarchi.com ....and... take a look Floating Ferrari F50, with motor, life size Mercedes 300 SL Seagull Volkswagen Beetle

Tuesday ...... 07 November 2006 ....




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Our River Pictures of the Day..... were sent in by Capt'n Robert Cope of the boat "Slow Ride". Robert sent us some pictures of the Mississippi Queen in front of the Loading Dock in Grafton, IL. For a slide show with about 100 of Robert's pictures click here. RiverBill says....Thanks for the pictures Robert...They really show a lot of detail.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was of Steve Huebner serving-up Mike Vitale some hot, hot stew 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.

Great loss to our river family........ Horace E. Allen, Jr. January 11, 1934 - November 03, 2006 Baue Funeral Home, 3950 West Clay Visitation: November 08, 2006 Service: November 09, 2006 A few words from his memorial obituary: "He had a love for the river and was a previous owner of Woodland Marina and Yacht Club, Horace Allen Water Toys and licensed Captain and owner of River Cruises: Yacht Relaxin." Member Con Trios Yacht Club and Duck Club Yacht Club For more information click here

*Missouri State Water Patrol News Release.....Cold Weather Boaters------* The Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release for cold weather boaters. Please take a moment to read it and take heed of the cold weather / cold water safety steps presented in the article. Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060187

*Missouri State Water Patrol News Release......Fire & Explosion.. Oct 2, 2006------* Something on the fire / explosion aboard the Wellcraft on Oct. 2nd on the Mississippi River at Grafton, IL.. Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060178

*More Info On The Mississippi Queen ------* According to an article in the on-line Alton Telegraph ..... the Mississippi Queen is preparing to depart for another trip on the river this Wednesday after being moored in Grafton, IL for a thorough cleaning after a flu-like illness cut previous trips short.. Click here to read the article in the on-line Telegraph.

Monday ...... 06 November 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures of the Day..... were sent in by Capt'n George Shindel. He captured a shot of the cruiser "Bry Wen" as it was passing in front of one of the towers on the Hardin Bridge...Pretty interesting shot ! He also captured a side / aft shot of the cruiser as it passed by....Looks as if the dingy could be dragging in the wake of the boat ! RiverBill says....Thanks for the pictures George

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? Nov 6 , 2005 The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago .......was of Suzie Q .......a real River Dawg !........ Owner Robert "Slow Ride" Cope. Nov 6, 2004 The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago .....was of the River Dog Buster sitting on a bar stool in the restaurant at Northshore Marina. We were told that Buster thinks he runs the place. RiverBill says......Thought I would go back two years in the archives and show a picture of Buster, one of the 1st River Dawgs to get his picture on RiverBill's. As you know North Shore is now gone. But if you ever visited the restaurant at North Shore in it's last day's, Buster met you at the door as you arrived and even would sit on the bar stool next to you. Not sure what happen to Ol' Buster...But I am going to add him to our River Dawg Page.

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November. Click here for this weeks forecast.

*Dardenne Greenway in St. Charles County ------* Captain Robert Cope sent us an e-mail about an article in The St. Charles County Journal about a proposed 36-mile greenway, which would parallel Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County Click here to read the story in the on-line St. Charles Journal Click here to go to the Great River Greenway District Website

Mixon Insurance ------ Mixon Insurance has a new website. The domain name is: www.mixoninsurance.com Click on the link above and fill out the on-line quote form for a fast, friendly insurance rate quote on your boat.. Watch for Bill Mixon's new sign at the corner of Highway 94 and Blase Station Rd, in St Charles County

Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine........The November on-line edition of Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine is out.. It has a good article on Missouri Zebra Mussels and those migrating ducks that are passing through our area. Click here to view the on-line version and download the entire magazine it in PDF format.

*RiverBill's Visitor Stats* ------ The visitor stats are in for October 2006.... 28,913 unique visitors ! - Up 10,838 from the October 2005 numbers. - Down 1,990 from the September 2006 numbers Click here to look at the visitor stats chart.

*BoaterEd Forums........We got an e-mail from Capt'n Tanui Shuck...he wrote: Hey Bill,* I was looking for some information and ran across a great boater forum. It might be of interest to other boaters. I use forums often. http://www.boatered.com/forum/sitenews.asp Have a great weekend. Tauni

Lost & Found ------ Sue Schneider reported that someone took the wrong cooler home with them on Saturday night after the hayride to Kinder's. Contact Sue at 314-308-3668 if you picked a small soft-sided cloth cooler by mistake. It has someone's keys in it. Sue also has some blankets that folks left behind.

With Deepest Sympathy........ I just got word that a fellow boater has lost his battle with cancer. He was Dave Charleville. He was great friends of a friend of mine, a successful business owner and he was a very avid boater. I think his boat was 51' and it is named Expresso, following his companies lead. It is docked at My River Home and is listed for sale. My condolences to the friends and family of a fellow boater... Jeff Easley For more information click here

Fri, Sat & Sun ...... 03, 04 05 November 2006 ....


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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day...(Saturday)... are from Captain Mark Newlin, the boater you see in the kayak on the Mississippi River in the Two Branch Island area.. Mark wrote: Bill: Saw these 2 flying over the river Sunday (Oct.29)afternoon, they made several fly-bys of 2 branch. Was Perfect kayaking weather, though there was a bit of river traffic heading up to the Cedar-Hill resort, but all boaters were very considerate. Not many nice days left. Mark



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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day...(Saturday)... are from Teresa Dorlac Teresa wrote: Bill: For the second year, the "River Gods" were smiling on the MarineMax Port Arrowhead Cruise Club for their Fall Getaway to Cedar Hill restaurant on Sunday, October 29th. A procession of 13 boats with 50 members (some experiencing their first gathering) cruised up the Mississippi River for a fun-filled afternoon of trivia contests, great food (thanks to Kevin, Dave & Carrie), Halloween treats and tremendous laughter. This event was the finale to a great year filled with many festive occasions; all successfully coordinated by "our leader - J.D. Schmid." I have attached a few photos from the day's event. Steve Schulte Photography is responsible for all the great photos, more can be seen at steveschulte.com If you would like to join us next year in your own Sea-Ray, please contact MarineMax.com. Teresa Dorlac RiverBill says...Thanks for the pictures Teresa. We slept in our friends, John and Pat's cruiser "The Big Vibrator" at dock at Kinder's Restaurant Saturday night after the Halloween Party. Seen you guys all go by Sunday Morning. It got a bit rough, but it was "quite the site"...... to see all the Sea Rays go by.. For pictures for the 2005 Sea Ray Cruise to Cedar Hill......scroll down and look at Friday's "Pic of the Day" from last year.




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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day....(Friday). are from Tony Roberson, of Roberson Marine Repair. It's some more pic's of the salvage operation of the burned out hull pictured on BiverBill's on October 30th. Tony wrote: Bill, Here are some photo's I took on the salvage/tow Pat (Riley) and I worked on the salvage together. Thank's, Tony Roberson Roberson's Marine Repair RiverBill says...Thanks for the pictures Tony. Looks like it was quite an operation and everything went well.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? Friday The "Picture of the Day" (Friday) from one year ago .......I named "Dock Full". They were taken by Bruce Panus, of Port Arrowhead Marina, while at Cedar Hill Restaurant last year. 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. RiverBill says....Interested in joining the Sea Ray Cruise Club ? Contact JD Schmid at 1- 866 - 356- 5872 Saturday The "Picture of The Day" last year (Saturday) was another picture of the very same spot along the bluffs that we had on RiverBill's a couple of days ago (+ 1 year). 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. Sunday The "Picture of The Day" last year (Sunday) was 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.

Please Adopt Me.......My name is Cody, I am a real River Dawg and I am looking for a happy home with a nice, fenced yard where I will be loved. Click here for more info about me !

The EPA Informs the State Of Missouri To Clean Rivers ------ A news story in the on-line St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has informed the State Of Missouri to clean it's rivers. According to the agency, the Missouri regulators failed to justify the decision to exempt 99 rivers and streams from Clean Water Act protections for recreational use. One of the exemptions includes a 195.5-mile stretch of Mississippi River. The article didn't identify the location. Click here to read the news story in the on-line STLtoday.com

The River RAMS Page ..... Capt'n Bert is a boater of the Mighty Mississippi River and loves football almost as much as boating....check out "his view" of this Sunday's up-coming RAMS game. Capt'n Bert Says... YOU KNOW YOU MIGHT BE A RIVER RAT IF... The only time you’ve ever used a fire extinguisher from a Sea-Doo is when your brother told you to put your feet out. Click here to read this week's edition of Captain Bert's River RamsPage..... (Caution some adult content) Go RAMS !

*Boat Capsizes on Mississippi near River Portage Des Sioux* ------ A duck hunter's boat, out of Liberty Harbor, capsized near Portage Island ( UMR 214 mile marker) on Wednesday evening. The body of the operator, Eugene Beckerly, was recovered. Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060186 Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

Boat Falls Off Trailer On Highway 270 ------ We got an e-mail from Joe Gearon, of the boat "This Is It", about a news story on 4KMOV.com about a boat that came off it's trailer on I-270 near Tesson Ferry yesterday morning. Click here to see the news story on 4KMOV.com

*Kinder's Restaurant* ...... Is closed during the week.........but will be open for your business this Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM until 7:00PM. They will also be open on select nice days until the weather turns bad. Call first to check...618 - 883-2586.

*Sharky's Cove Floating Restaurant* ...... Winter hours beginning October 23rd Thursday and Friday open @ 4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday open @ 11:00 am We will still doing trivia on Thursday nights beginning at 7:00. Sharky's Landing Restaurant opens November 3rd..... Open 7 days a week at 11:00 am Located at `3979 Mexico Rd in the Caravan Center, near the Cave Springs exit on I-70` Click here to go to Sharky's website

Thursday ...... 02 November 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures of the Day..... are from Fran and Mark Kennedy. The pics are from the Halloween Contest at Sharky's Cove Floating Restaurant last Saturday night. *Click here* to view the slide show. RiverBill says...Thanks Fran and Mark for sharing you party pictures with us ! Look for pictures from Kinder,s Halloween Party in tomorrow's edition of RiverBills.

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago were sent by two different boaters, Harry Ragland and Robert Cope, just a few days apart from each other. 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.

Mississippi Queen *Docked At Grafton* ------ There was another article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch about the Mississippi Queen being docked at Grafton, IL and the flu-like illness that has plagued the vessel recently. Click here and check it out in STLtoday.com

Wednesday ...... 01 November 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day..... is from Robert, Slow Ride, Cope. It's a panoramic shot of those chalky white limestone bluffs that line the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, IL. Make sure to "click" on the the picture above to enlarge it. The larger version is definitely worth seeing. The bluffs seem to go on forever. RiverBill says........Thanks for the panoramic pictures Robert !

*Last Year's River Picture of the Day* ------ What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago 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." RiverBill says...The pic Harry sent in of the "sailboat's in Sioux Harbor" made it onto the RiverBills.com poster that you see in river businesses around the area. Thanks Harry !

LOOK for some Halloween Pictures from last weekend's parties at Sharky's Cove and Kinder's Restaurant in tomorrow's edition of RiverBills.com

*More Info on the Flu-like Illness Aboard Mississippi Queen* *------* There was an article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch about the problems aboard the Mississippi Queen with the flu-like illness and the cancelled trip up-river. Click here and check it out in STLtoday.com

*More Info On The New River Research Center -----* There was an article in yesterday's on-line Alton Telegraph about the funding from the State of Illinois that will be released for the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center near lock and dam 26 across the Mississippi River from the Alton, Illinois. Click here to read the article in the on-line Alton Telegraph.

*Boat Recovery* *.........`The note below is from RiverBill's message board.... just wanted to make sure everyone seen it.` Just wanted to know if anyone has pictures from Sunday of the burnt boat we raised and recovered on Sunday October 29th near Gafton. I know a lot of people took pictures because I was the guy who looked like a walrus in the water. If you could email them to me that would be great. Thanks in advance for the support,* Pat Riley muldoonhere@sbcglobal.net RiverBill says...Let's help Pat out ! Send him your pic's !

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