The Weekend Report 

 Fri, Sat, Sun... 30 Nov - 02 Dec 2007

 One Million Visitors Strong!

 Updated Sunday AT 1:20 PM 

Picture of the Day...

 Sunday

Click on picture to enlarge

 Sunday 1:20 PM 

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day...Sunday.. is from Sharon Topolski

Bill,

Tyler is the little dog belonging to John and Jean Beam the other dog is Shadow belonging to their friends Keith. 

Sharon and Andy Topolski

Picture of the Day...

 Saturday

 Saturday 7:30 AM 

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day...Saturday... is from Mike Sharky, with a story about last year's winter storm.

Bill,

December 1st will be one year since we lost our beloved river boat to Mother Nature's ice storm. So many damaged boats and lives changed up and down the river as a result of that event. 
Ours was one of them.

1. Summer 2006 - Pristine '88 250 CC Sea Ray at Hat Island - Summer fun! 
2. December 1st, 2006 - Pristine '88 250 CC Sea Ray, crushed by Mother Nature's version of Pearl Harbor 
(my boat is lower right with the green bow sticking out at John's Harbor) - Boat destroyed and totaled.
3. Summer 2007 - Is the replacement boat, '89 260 CC Sea Ray 

How 'bout that! 
Due to space and timing issues we now hail out of Woodland Marina and because of what happened, we named the boat "Compromising Positions". 
Dedicated River Rats and those who also had to recover from that ice storm might appreciate our story.

See you on the water,
Mike Sharkey 

Picture of the Day...

Friday

Click on picture to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...Friday... is from Richard Moore 

Hey bill, 

   Thought I would share!


Richard Moore
1995 Mariah Barchetta 272 Z
The Fashion Talent Resource

Yester Years Pic of the Day

 Sunday

 Updated Sunday At 1:20 PM 

The River Picture on this Day In 2005 ---Sunday--- .was sent in by Captain Glenn Sadowski out of Woodland Marina.  Glenn wrote in his e-mail;

In regard to today's  (11-30-05) "Not your normal Patrol" ....

Hats off to all those emergency responders!

Here's a photo of the Auxiliary Vessel "Liberty"  that I snapped on that day.

River Bill says.......... A person has to wonder just what is going in the minds of these folks when this picture was snapped.  They are heading out towards a large burning boat and all kinds of things could happen.  Looks like the firefighters, a man and a woman,  are from Orchard Farm (OFFPD).  The Coast guard Auxiliary is transporting them to the fire.  

  Both, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Firefighters did a fine job on that day...And they usually don't get enough credit for it.  

As you said......

HATS OFF TO ALL THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.

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Yester Years Pic of the Day

 Saturday

Updated Saturday At 7:30 AM

The River Picture on this Day In 2006 ---Saturday--- is of the  snow and ice storm that hit the St. Louis area.... reaping havoc on the marinas in the St. Louis area.  

Click here for more pictures form last year's storm.

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Yester Years Pic of the Day

 Friday

The River Picture on this Day In 2004 ---Friday--- 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. 

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Updated Saturday At 10:30 AM

 Evel Knievel Was A Boater Too…….  

We will miss you Evel Knievel

Click here for a picture of Evel's 1976 Boat "Evel Eye II"

                     From www.geocities.com/Pipeline/Ramp/2716/index1a.html

Click here for a picture of Evel's 1970 Boat "Evel Eye"

                A Chris Craft 58' ROAMER

                From www.yachtworld.com

Updated Saturday At 8:45 AM

 Palisades Yacht Club Update…….  

Wear your black & gold Mizzou gear and watch the game Saturday Night  at PYC and enjoy happy hour prices all night!
GO MIZZOU!

Amy @ PYC 

Updated Saturday At 8:30 AM

 Abandoned Boat…….  

To: "River Bill" <riverbill@prodigy.net> 
Subject:    abandoned watercraft 
Date:        Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:29:26 -0600 

The Illinois Conservation Police have recovered a small abandoned boat floating down the Mississippi River at Piasa Creek. It appears to belong to a marina since it has push boards on the bow. For information on claiming the boat contact the Region IV Office in Alton (618)462-1181.

Mark Wagner
Illinois Conservation 

 Dardenne Greenway Update…….  According to a news article in the on-line St. Louis Post Dispatch......... The Great Rivers Greenway District has abandoned its plan to develop a trail along the entire length of Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County because of the " indifference or even hostility" of some of the land owners.

     As a result,  the trail will now run from an area just west of the Busch Wildlife to an area near the eastside of the Lakeside 370 Park in St. Peters.

  Click here to read the on-line news article.

Con Trios Holiday Party Is This Saturday ........ There are still a few openings available..........e-mail Gary Meinershagen for more info.    

Internet Suicide Charges  …….   According to a news story on KHQA7on-line ..... the St. Charles County prosecutor will announce next week his decision on  whether to charge the woman accused of orchestrating the hoax that precipitated the suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier in October of 2006.  Megan was the daughter of Tina and Ron Meier, part of our boating family.

  Click here to read the on-line news article.

Happy Holidays From Two Rivers Marina......On the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Mo.               Your River Destination....  Click here

An Article From The US Army Corps Of Engineers Website.....

Congressman Carnahan – Corps of Engineers hold Missouri Levee Summit

U.S. Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri 3rd District) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District held a Missouri Levee Summit at the South County Holiday Inn at on South Lindbergh Boulevard, Monday, November 26.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for leaders within levee districts; Federal, State, and Local governments; businesses and communities to discuss the importance of flood risk management. 

One objective of the Levee Summit was to communicate risk and reliability of flood protection systems and to develop a tool for continuous communication between the Corps and those associated with these systems. 

The agenda included participation by Congressman Carnahan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. 

Agency personnel provided an overview of Missouri levee systems within the St. Louis District’s area of responsibility, the condition and reliability of those systems, the importance of addressing known issues, the Army Corps’ levee inspection program, as well as FEMA’s nationwide map modernization effort.

Who: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District and Congressman Russ Carnahan.
What: Missouri Levee Summit Meeting
When: 12:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 26, 2007 (Media session with Congressman Carnahan at noon prior to the summit)
Where: Holiday Inn, South County, 6921 South Lindbergh Blvd.

Media wishing to attend the pre conference media session at noon or cover this conference are urged to contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Office in St. Louis at 314-331-8068/8095. A summit agenda is also available by calling the Public Affairs Office.

Source:

http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/pa/MoLeveeSummit.html

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The above was reprinted from the US Army Corps of Engineers website.

Information presented on CorpsWeb public web sites is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.

Eagles In The Nest Photo…….  Yesterday's on-line Alton Telegraph had a picture of a pair bald eagles as they sat in their well-known nest along the River Heritage Parkway (Illinois Route 143).

  Click here for on-line photo and story

Happy Holidays From Velro Mattress.....Mattresses and Cushions for your Boat and RV                     A Complete Bedding Line for your Home...Click here

 Thursday...29 Nov. 2007

 One Million Visitors Strong!

Picture of the Day...

River Palms

Click on picture to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... is from a trip above Winfield Dam back in August .....How did those River Palms get there ?  ...Hmmm 

Your Chair Is Waiting !

Yester Years Pic of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2005 ------ was of one of the barefoot racers in the Mississippi Barefoot Endurance Race race held in October 2005. 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.. 

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Missouri Governor & Attorney General Ask Corps  Not To Raise Missouri River Levels Next Spring ..... 

     According to a news report on yesterday's  on-line KSDK NewsChannel 5 .......   Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon have both written letters to the US Army Corps of Engineers requesting them to forgo a spring rise on the Missouri River in 2008. 

    Approximately 40 levees on the river remain damaged from the flooding that occurred in 2007.

Click here to read the on-line news article.

Happy Holidays From Safe Harbor Yacht Sales..... The only national yacht brokerage serving the mid-west & the west Florida coast.  To buy or sell a boat ...click here

  Buy A Cruiser At Sam's Club !…….  According to a news article on the on-line Mad Mariner today,  the boat maker Genmar is working on a deal to sell their line of  boats at Sam's Club. 

  Click here to read the on-line news article. 

  Click here to go to Genmar's website.

Loopers…….  Did you know that more than 150 boat owners notified America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association in 2007 that they were planning to attempt the loop this year ?

  The circumnavigation of Eastern North America by water is known as the Great Loop. Also known as the Great Circle, the trip varies from 5,000 miles to 7,500 miles depending on the options used. The boats used range from personal watercraft (jet-skis) to 60-foot yachts. Both sailboats and powerboats are used but the most common boats are 34 - 45 ft trawlers. The main factors that govern the size of the boat is the limited draft (5 feet) in some locations on the loop and the height of one bridge (19 feet) in Chicago, Illinois. People traveling the Great Loop are known as "loopers." The numbers of people attempting this voyage is growing with the Baby Boomers reaching retirement age. 

         Source:  The on-line  Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Click here to go to America's Great Loop Cruisers Association.  Check it out !

RiverBill's Visitor Stats by Year

Another Milestone…….  RiverBills.com hit another milestone !  

  Back in September we surpassed the one million visitor mark since our inception in 2004.......And....... now we have surpassed another milestone. 

As of October 31 we had more than 

1/2 million visitors 

in the calendar year of 2007 !

Thanks for Logging On !

Con Trios Holiday Party Is This Saturday !    

There are still a few openings !

E-mail Gary Meinershagen for more info.    

Gary Meinershager

Fleet Captain

glmeinershagen@sbcglobal.net

Happy Holidays From Shamel Auto & Tire..... 10% Discount for boaters on parts, labor and all trailer , auto and truck tires in stock.  

....Phone 314.770. 0800.......Click here 

River Restaurants…….  Open for Business

Grafton's Landing Bar and Grill

Palisades Yacht Club

The Yacht Club of St. Louis 

  Click here for more information and business hours.

 Wednesday...28 Nov. 2007

 One Million Visitors Strong!

Picture of the Day...

Click on picture to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... is a river silhouette sunset.  We are looking down-river from the Golden Eagle Ferry Road. 

Reds and blues... of the sky and the river  

offset by the silhouette of the trees in the foreground

Yester Years Pic of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2005 ------ is of the Two Branch Marina crew out in front of Capt'n Jack's Restaurant.  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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St. Louis Levee Protection..... According to a news article in yesterday's  on-line St. Louis Post Dispatch.......   The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis district,  said that the St. Louis area levees don't provide the area with protection against a 100-year flood, even though the US Congress has authorized 500-year protection for the levees.

"A 100-year flood event is not one likely to occur once a century, but instead one that has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year".

  Click here to read the on-line news article.

  Click here to read St. Louis Post Dispatch news article

                 "Mo. seeks stronger flood protections'....dated 11/26/07

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..

Con Trios Holiday Party Is This Saturday !    

E-mail Gary Meinershagen for more info.    

Gary Meinershager

Fleet Captain

glmeinershagen@sbcglobal.net

Godfrey Man Catches Giant Catfish on Asian Carp…….  According to a news article on My Web Times.........Dave Asaro, from Godfrey, IL, caught a 85 pound blue cat in the Mississippi River while fishing just above the Melvin Price Lock and Dam on September 11th.  It was a giant fish and only 39 pounds short of the 124 pound state record set by Tim Pruitt in 2005. 

What did he use for bait ?  

A chunk of an Asian Carp that jumped into their boat as they put  into the river !  

  Asaro was quoted as saying that when he set the hook on the giant fish  "it was like I hooked the bottom of the river.  It didn't give and it didn't move".

  Click here to read the on-line news article

Port Charles Harbor...A Great Reason To Boat The Mississippi River Click here

                                     Phone.....636.250.2628 

River Restaurants…….  Open for Business

Grafton's Landing Bar and Grill

Palisades Yacht Club

The Yacht Club of St. Louis 

  Click here for more information and business hours.

RiverBill's Message Board......

   RiverBill's Message Board is for all boaters.  It's a place to share information about the river, boating, fishing, about up coming events, about things that happen on the river, etc.

    Lets keep the postings clean, respectful and about the river....Please refrain from personal insults aimed at other boaters & law enforcement.  No profanity !

Thank You.

River Bill

From RiverBill's Message Board.....  

  RiverBill's Message Board is a public service for the boaters who frequent this website.  

Information and opinions expressed on RiverBill's Message Board are not necessarily that of RiverBills.com LLC.

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Name:      Joe (boozeitup2@yahoo.com) 
Date:        Tue 27 Nov 2007 08:30:37 PM EST 
Subject:    looking for property or house 
I am looking for propertry to lease or purchase on Mississippi River in Alton pool. Would like to be able to put r.v. on it. Would consider a house for right price. 

Please call Joe at 636-274-7575 or e-mail me 

Click here to go to RiverBill's Message Board

Click on Ad above 

Volunteer Help Wanted.....Join the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. 

Click here

 Tuesday...27 Nov. 2007

 One Million Visitors Strong!

Pictures of the Day...

SAFE Boat

Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day...... are from from Capt'n Darryll, who hails out of the Yacht Club of St. Louis in the cruiser "After You".

 Bill:

Got a couple of pictures of the Missouri Water Patrol's SAFE boat on the trailer at Yacht Club of St. Louis. Interesting rig if you haven't seen it close up before. Made by a company called SAFE Boats International. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.safeboats.com/default/home.html

Darryll
Webmaster for the following websites:
www.captainweil.com
www.contriosyachtclub.org
www.blessingofthefleetstl.com
www.littlejohnsinc.com 

Little John's Marine Service.....  Stainless steel fabrication & repair.....Patrick Auto Leveling Radar...Gibson Houseboat Davits   636- 250-4187...... Click here

Hydroelectric Plant Study For Quincy ......  According to a news article in the on-line Alton Daily News..... Quincy has been given the OK by Federal Officials to begin study on a hydroelectric power plant on the Mississippi River. The plant would be built neat the locks on the big river and provide electricity to run the city's streetlights, the water plant and maybe provide residents a small break on electric bills. 

  If things go well, the plant could be complete by 2015.

  Click here to read the on-line article.

Great River Road Run ......  For you running boaters.......there is a news article in the on-line Alton Daily News about last weekend's 48th Annual Great River Road Run. 

  Click here to read the on-line article.

Body From River Identified…….  According to a news article in the on-line Alton Daily News.........The body found floating in the Mississippi River by towboat workers near Alton, IL in May of this year has been identified.  It's that of a 30 year old Cape Girardeau man.  

   The man man had mental problems  and was reported missing only days before his body was found.  He had attempted to harm himself in the past, but foul play has not been ruled out.

  Click here for picture and to read the on-line news article

River Restaurants…….  Open for Business

Grafton's Landing Bar and Grill

Palisades Yacht Club

The Yacht Club of St. Louis 

  Click here for more information and business hours.

River Destinations......

   Golconda Lock and Dam 51 Houses on Ohio River..... The St. Charles Journal had an interesting bit of travel information in their Nov. 20 edition about four houses  that sit on a secluded spot of the riverbanks of the Ohio River just south of Golconda, IL.  The houses were built in the 1920's for the families of employees who operated the lock and dam that once stood at that location and now provide overnight accommodations for travelers.  

  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers abandoned the dwellings in 1980 and are now owned by the city of Golconda.  The dwellings have been restored, decorated with period furniture and equipped with modern conveniences for today's traveler.. 

  Click here to read the on-line news article in the St. Charles Journal.

  Click here for information on Golconda's full service 200 slip Marina.

  Click here for more info about Golconda, IL from the Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Con Trios Holiday Party Is This Saturday !    

You Can Still Signup !    

Gary Meinershager

Fleet Captain

glmeinershagen@sbcglobal.net

Luttrell Marine.....Brokerage & Consignment....Boat Transporting Service   .....At Yacht Club Of St. Louis...  636.250.3844   Click Here

RiverBill's Message Board......

   RiverBill's Message Board is for all boaters.  It's a place to share information about the river, boating, fishing, about up coming events, about things that happen on the river, etc.

    Lets keep the postings clean, respectful and about the river....Please refrain from personal insults aimed at other boaters and law enforcement.  No profanity !

Thank You.

River Bill

From RiverBill's Message Board.....  

  RiverBill's Message Board is a public service for the boaters who frequent this website.  

Information and opinions expressed on RiverBill's Message Board are not necessarily that of RiverBills.com LLC.

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Name:        Seadoo_Jason (@ jmkinmo1970@yahoo.com) 
Date:          Mon 26 Nov 2007 11:41:40 AM EST 
Subject:      Not everyone drinks while boating in the Alton Pool.

 
For the person that stated that everyone on the river drinks. You should think before making a statement like that. I myself hang with many different groups out on the river, and i can say that not everyone drinks. I have many friends that do not drink and enjoy the river. Maybe all the people you hang with enjoy drinking out there, but there are many boaters who do not. Think before you make a statement like that please. 

Click here to go to RiverBill's Message Board

 Monday...26 Nov. 2007

 One Million Visitors Strong!

Pictures of the Day...

Still Skiing !

Click on Picture to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day...... are from Mark Cutler of the boat "Cutty's Ark."

 Hi Bill,

I wanted to send you a few pics that were taken yesterday, Nov. 24. The skiing pics were taken in Snake Chute, and the boat pic was taken down at the Grafton marina. Pictured are my son Zac and our friend Caroline. They braved the 44 degree water yesterday for a ski run or two. Susie skiied a quick run as well, but no pictures of her! 

Went to Grafton for some hot chocolate afterwards.

Another day on the river!

Mark Cutler
Cutty's Ark 

Yester Years Pic of the Day

The River Picture on this Day In 2005 ------- was of a river sunset.  This shot was taken as we were coming out of Bolter chute looking up-river towards Kinder's.

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The Grafton Ferry.......  is one of the best places in the area to watch the eagles as it motors you across the river.   Check it out...Enjoy the ride ...Take your camera .....And  send RiverBill's some pics !      Click here

Boater's Gift Ideas ......  Check out the Mad Mariner's Gift Guide..

  Click here  and check out some gift ideas for your special boater.

Free Boating Magazine…….  A free one year subscription to Boating World...

Click here and check it out

Asian Carp Update from CNN …

The sad news is that .......They are here to stay ! 

Click here and check out this CNN video !

NEWS RELEASE

PUBLIC INFORMATION SECTION, P.O. Box 1368, Jefferson City, MO65102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Alton Pool

Water Patrol Issues Fall Safe Boating Tips

Fall signals the beginning of the various hunting seasons for Missourians. The waterways that were once filled with recreational boaters are now being inhabited by hunters traveling to their favorite "hot spots". Each year more hunters will die from drowning and the effects of hypothermia than from gunshot wounds. Why is the seasonal hunter who uses a boat at such a risk? Many hunters do not regard themselves as "boaters" and as a consequence do not consider the special conditions and challenges of the marine environment. The avid hunter tends to focus more on firearm safety and the pursuit of game than on boating safety. To ensure a safe hunting trip, you should be familiar with your boat, its equipment, the weather, and the basics of responsible and safe boating. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before your next outing:

·  Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) are essential to safe waterborne hunting. In Missouri, you must have a wearable PFD for each person aboard. Make sure the life jacket is in good, serviceable condition and easily accessible. When you are sizing your PFD to fit, take into consideration the extra clothing you may be wearing. The life jacket should fit snugly and comfortab