~~~~~~ RiverBill's Archives~~~~~~
October 2008

A WEBSITE FOR THE  BOATING COMMUNITY 

OF THE 

MISSISSIPPI, ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI RIVERS

Friday

October 31.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

 Picture of the Day

Good-Bye Delta Queen

Photo By RiverBill

Photo By RiveBill

Photo by Kathy & Dave Skarstad
Villas of Winneberg, Golden Eagle, IL

Photo By Capt'n Carl Seidler

Grafton Harbor

Photo ByTimothy Miller

Harbor Point Yacht Club

Photo By Capt'n Greg Sadowski

Woodland Marina

   click on pic to enlarge

Good-bye Delta Queen

The Delta Queen is making its final voyage. It has nothing to do with her age or her condition. It is about a law passed by Congress. Right now there is a battle going on with a Congressman who wants to sink her and many who wants to keep her a float.

To see a live video about this controversial issue, click here on myfoxstl.com

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2007-----  was sent in y Capt'n from John Payne.  He snapped a shot of the Mississippi Queen heading into a full moon Saturday night as it was passing Kinder's Restaurant.  

Navigation Notices ......

Daylight Savings Time Ends......... Daylight saving time is observed from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.....

Don't forget to set your boat clock back one hour !

  Click here for more info.

August 1979 in River History ------  
   

From the US Army Corps of Engineers website

Godspeed, Delta Queen ------  
   

Delta Queen ...A Real American Treasure------  We received an e-mail with some links to photographs and interesting facts about the delta Queen from Mike Vessell, who hails out of Port Charles Harbor in the house boat...... “Pointe of View”.

Click here for The Big Muddy October Event & Dinner Special Calendar

RiverBills Upcoming Events........

 We have added a boatload of upcoming boat shows to RiverBills Upcoming Event Page.

Click here to read this news story on Quincy's WGEM
 

Click here for this week's "Fall Colors" forecast. 

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

Insurance Discounts Hybrid Boats........

 Linking Illinois Fishing and Hunting Licenses To Child Support.....

According to a news story on The Prairie States Outdoors...... the linking of Illinois fishing and hunting licenses to child support payments has produced more than $263,500 in child support payments in the past year !

It's been an effective incentive to get some parents, who live in the state of Illinois, to pay their child support. September marks one year anniversary of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services teaming up with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on this effort.

Hunting and fishing are consider privileges by the state of Illinois and they are not allowing  people to spend money on self enjoyment before taking  care of financial obligations to their children. The names of those applying for a licenses are crosschecked to the names of child support violators in the state.  If the applicant owes unpaid child support they may not issued a licenses.

Click here to read this news story.

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

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The following reprinted from the Save-The-Delta-Queen website

Delta Queen: Memphis to New Orleans
Oct 30, 2008

Here is the official schedule for the Delta Queen for the next couple of days which might be her last active days as overnight passenger steamboat on the rivers

Don’t forget: We are not bidding the Delta Queen goodbye. We are sending her off to rest for the winter, while we continue the fight to have her exempted once and for all from a law that never should have involved her

 

The Delta Queen will arrive in Memphis on Thursday, October 30, for her final visit of the 2008 season. She is scheduled to come in at 8 a.m., but most likely she will be there in the early morning hours. Majestic America Line will hold a "Farewell Tribute" ceremony from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. On Friday, October 31, at 6:00 p.m. the boat will depart Memphis for New Orleans with no passengers and only a skeleton crew onboard.

At each of five more ports along the way, the Tribute ceremony will be repeated. The grassroots Save the Delta Queen Campaign and the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus urge everyone to come down to the waterfront to enjoy the boat’s legendary calliope and performances by the Delta Queen band and singers, but most importantly to rally in favor of keeping this quintessential American treasure in full operation.

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, October 30 - Memphis, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 1 - Helena, Arkansas, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 - Greenville, Mississippi, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 3 - Vicksburg, Mississippi, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 4 - Natchez, Mississippi, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 4:00-5:00 p.m.

On Thursday, November 6, the Delta Queen will dock at Oak Alley Plantation for a private onboard ceremony. Plans are still in progress for events in New Orleans when the boat arrives there on Friday, November 7.

Thursday

October 30.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

   click on pic to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day...... are more sent in by Capt'n Mike Kolisch, who hails out of Port Charles Marina in the boat ... Cool Breeze

Bill,

We also took a few fall pics on river road Tuesday Little color but not peak yet.

Mike Kolisch

Cool Breeze

Port Charles Marina
 

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2006----- 

Hi Bill, 
   Here are a few pics of the recovery team loading the boat that burned in Grafton on Oct 2nd...I was just returning from the trip to Mels Dockside a few of us made and got back in time to get a few shots of their effort...

Jeff Easley

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Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/29/08
Subject: Safety Advisory for Missouri River (BNM NR 0559-08)
NAVNOTICE # 1461

SECTOR UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER ISSUES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ADVISORY:
NAVIGATION FLOW SUPPORT FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER FROM THE MAIN STEM
RESERVOIR SYSTEM TO THE MOUTH WILL END ON 31 OCT 08, AND WILL RESUME
ON 01 APR 09.
 

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Check the CG/COE Hot Topics website for most current memos

Great Lakes Fish Virus....

Click here to read the entire news story.....

RiverBills Upcoming Events........

 We have added a boatload of upcoming boat shows to RiverBills Upcoming Event Page.

Click here and check them out !       

Delta Queen Celebrates on Final Cruise......

On Thursday at 4 pm the Delta Queen will port in Memphis where it will drop off its last overnight passengers who are from Cincinnati. They will have a celebration at that time. Then it will head down to New Orleans where it will stay. On Friday, the Delta Queen loses its license to carry overnight passengers. It has been traveling the Mississippi River for over 80 years now and has made many stops in the St. Louis area.

To read this full story, click here on the Alton Daily News

The Link is Fixed !

   Last Weekend's Edition of RiverBill's............. click here 

Boats Are a Good Investment .......
 

According to a column in the New York Times .... boats are good investments

The newspaper published a  a column titled, “Some purchases may still be worth the price.”   The writer advocates that a boat is more valuable than the money spent.
“A boat is also an investment in relationships, something that isn’t readily apparent until you’re on one a lot,” Lieber wrote........

Click here to read the column.

River Rats In Key West..... 

Capt'n Darryll Weil sent us the following e-mail.

Bill,

 I posted an email and some pictures from Judy Meinershagen about their fishing trip while they are in Key West Florida.

Go to the Con Trios Yacht Club website www.contriosyachtclub.org to read the report and see the pictures.

Darryll Weil,

Con Trios Yacht Club webmaster
 

Winter Trout Fishing and Deer Season Start on the Same Weekend.........

Riverbills.com received the following e-mail from Jim Low of the Missouri Department of Conservation.
 

JEFFERSON CITY—Trout-fishing fanatics are likely to have an even more serene experience than usual when the winter fishing season opens at Missouri ’s four trout parks.

Solitude is one of the big draws of the winter fishing season. Cold weather and the requirement to release all trout unharmed dramatically reduce the number of people visiting Bennett Spring , Montauk and Roaring River state parks and Maramec Spring Park during the off season. This year the effect is likely to be even more pronounced because the winter-season opener falls on the same weekend as Missouri ’s firearms deer season opener.

“ Missouri has more than 470,000 firearms deer hunters,” said James Civiello, cold-water hatchery supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “A significant number of those folks also like trout fishing, so I think attendance will be down that first weekend.”

The expectation of lower attendance will not affect how many fish the Conservation Department releases at trout parks. Winter stocking rates are lower than during the peak fishing months, because harvesting fish is not permitted. Fish that are stocked during the winter season include large fish not needed for brood stock at Conservation Department trout hatcheries. These “lunkers” lend an element of excitement to the winter season.

This year’s winter no-creel season begins Nov. 14 and runs through Feb. 9. Winter fishing opportunities at state-owned trout parks have expanded in recent years and now include no-creel fishing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Fridays through Mondays. The season starts the second Friday in November and continues through the second Monday in February. This schedule applies at the three state parks administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The James Foundation’s Maramec Spring Park opens its gates to anglers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily throughout the winter season.

Anglers can get detailed regulation pamphlets at each trout park. The pamphlets explain where fishing is allowed. Some facilities that are open during the regular fishing season may be closed during the catch-and-release season.

The only permits required for catch-and-release fishing at trout parks are a fishing permit (resident $12, nonresident $40, daily $7) and a statewide trout permit (resident or nonresident $7). The trout permit is valid throughout the winter season. These two permits also allow anglers to catch and keep trout all year in many public trout streams outside the parks.

Information about Missouri’s diverse trout fishing opportunities is found in “Missouri Trout Fishing,” which is available from MDC, Missouri Trout Fishing, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or by e-mailing pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.

Further information is available by calling:

· Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery, near Lebanon , 417-532-4418.

· Maramec Spring Fish Hatchery, near St. James, 573-265-7801.

· Montauk Fish Hatchery, near Salem , 573-548-2585.

· Roaring River Fish Hatchery, near Cassville, 417-847-2430.

-Jim Low-

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

  Oasis Bar and Grill

                  636- 250 - 3100

    Mon - Thur .... 11AM - 9PM

Beaver Soup Nov 15

River Rat Financial Corner

Marine Products........

According to a news story on TradeOnlytoday.com ..... Marine Products Corporation reported a decline in sales for the third quarter, which ended in Sept..

Marine Products manufactures of Chaparral and Robalo boats

Click here to read more .

Click here to read more .

 Navy Sub Is Sponsored By September 11^th Widow.....

Since it is tradition for the sponsor of a Navy ship to go with its crew, Cheryl McGuinness will be going on the Virginia-class submarine. It is actually the third Navy warship to be called the New Hampshire. Ms. McGuinness is the widow of the co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Her husband was also a Navy fighter pilot.

There were about 3,000 guests invited at the commissioning for this submarine, “Live Free or Die.” It was held at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which is the oldest Navy shipyard in the nation.

To read this full article in the Mad Mariner, click here

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Mark Twain’s Campgrounds Are Open Longer This Year

Some of the campgrounds at Mark Twain Lake have been asked to extend their opening time this year to accommodate the deer hunters. The time is extended through November 24^th. There are about 45,000 acres up at Mark Twain Lake that can be used for hunting. Even though they have extended the opening this time, hunters are still encouraged to obey all of the laws. They are also supposed to stay away from any areas marked “No Hunting.”

To read this full report on Hannibal News, click here

Wednesday

October 29.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

   click on pic to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day...... were sent in by Capt'n Mike Kolisch of the boat ... Cool Breeze

Bill,

We were out Tuesday ,cold but not too bad.  The corp is busy building a new dike on enterprise island and another on the Illinois .side across from Iowa .

I am sending some pics.

Mike Kolisch

Cool Breeze

Port Charles Marina
 

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2005-----  was a small section of a much larger  river landscape  (that stretches for 42 inches ) sent in by Mike Kolisch.  

Mike took this river landscape in seven different shots and pieced it together for us.   What a picture.    This is one of the best pictures I have seen of the bluff area.   It just keep gong and going.   

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Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/28/08
Subject: Temporary River Closure on the ILR (BNM NR 0556-08 UM)
NAVNOTICE # 1456

ILLINOIS RIVER
THE CG WILL BE ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY RIVER CLOSURE FOR ALL WATERS OF THE ILR BETWEEN MM 117-119 FOR APPROX 3 TO 4 HOURS ON THE 5TH OR 6TH OF NOVEMBER 2008. THE CLOSURE IS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF WIRE CABLE. THE EXACT DATE AND TIME WILL BE DETERMINED AND BROADCAST PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE. ALL MARINERS ARE TO CONTACT THE M/V'S NORMAN L. OR DANNY H. ON VHF CH 13,14, OR 16 THE DAY OF THE CLOSURE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MARINERS MAY ALSO CONTACT SEC UMR ON VHF CH 16 AND LAND LINE 314-269-2332 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
 

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To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/28/08
Subject: Light Extinguished MM 184.1 UMR (BNM NR 0557-08)
NAVNOTICE # 1457

THE COAST GUARD HAS RCVD A REPORT THAT THE CHAIN OF LOCKS CANAL LOWER ENTRANCE LIGHT (LLNR 16385) MM 184.1 UMR IS EXTINGUISHED. ALL
MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO TRANSIT THE AREA WITH CAUTION.
 

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Check the CG/COE Hot Topics website for most current memos

Gas Prices Fall Below $2 Per Gallon In Missouri

    Just in Time To Fill Up That Boat Before You Put It Away.....

To read this full article in KSDK online, click here

Delta Queen Celebrates Its Final Cruise......

On Thursday at 4 pm the Delta Queen will port in Memphis where it will drop off its last overnight passengers who are from Cincinnati. They will have a celebration at that time. Then it will head down to New Orleans where it will stay. On Friday, the Delta Queen loses its license to carry overnight passengers. It has been traveling the Mississippi River for over 80 years now and has made many stops in the St. Louis area.

To read this full story, click here on the Alton Daily News

US Coast Guard Photo

Marine board of investigation hears testimony on Katmai
 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska Ð The Marine Board of Investigation began hearing testimony in the sinking of the fishing vessel Katmai October 27, 2008. The vessel sank in the early morning hours of October 22 when seven crewmembers died and four were rescued.

Coast Guard photo by PA1 Allyson E.T. Conroy.
 

boatingmag.com .... Partners With .....   iboats.com.......

According to a news story in TradeOnlytoday.com....... boatingmag.com has partnered with iboats.com.

As partners they will be providing boating editorial in iboats.com sections as such as marine store, new boat showroom, on-line forums, boat classifieds and a biweekly newsletter.

Click here to read more.....

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

River Rat Financial Corner

     Raymarine........

According to a news story on TradeOnlytoday.com ..... Raymarine reported that sales that sales were down 8.5 percent for the nine-month period ending September 30 compared to the same period last year.

Raymarine is a UK based company that manufactures marine electronic products including navigation instruments and Autopilots, GPS chartplotters, radars, and fishfinders.

Click here to read more .
 

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Stopping Erosion Along Costal Beaches ......

Since there have been so many severe hurricanes within the past several years, erosion has been a major problem with erosion. One thing they are finding out is making walls of oysters and sand works out really well. Not to mention, it is a little more attractive. They also don’t have to be replaced as often and they are cheaper to build. They also draw sea critters including oysters, algae, barnacles, crabs, worms, small minnows and other fish. Some call it the living sea wall.

To read this full article, click here on the Mad Mariner

Tuesday

October 28.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

   click on pic to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day...... were sent in by Capt'n Dave Bullington, of the boat ... "Whoz Yer Daddy"

Hey Bill,

Saturday the ACBS Mississippi Valley Chapter had our 3rd annual Fall Classic Cruise. We left Grafton around noon and headed down to Alton and back. The weather was perfect and we had some awesome boats attend the event.

Can't wait until the 4th Annual Fall Classic next year!

Dave Bullington

St. Charles, MO"

Whoz Yer Daddy"

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2007-----  was from Island Dave

Hi Bill

Here is a photo of us sailing last weekend in 20 mph winds. The photo was taken from a kite. 

Island Dave

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Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/27/08
Subject: SUNKEN WORK BARGE AT MM 167.5 UMR LDB
NAVNOTICE # 1455

SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0555-08 UM
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0555-08 UM
UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
THERE IS A SUNKEN WORK BARGE LOCATED AT MM 167.5 UMR LDB OUTSIDE THE NAVIGATION CHANNEL. THE WRECK IS MARKED WITH A LIGHTED WHITE BUOY. ALL MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT AND TRANSIT THE AREA WITH CAUTION.


 

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Check the CG/COE Hot Topics website for most current memos

Missouri State Water Patrol Safety Education Classes.....

The above info reprinted from Mo State Water Patrol website

Click here to check out the Missouri State Water Patrol website for more info.

Coast Guard Hearing on July 23 New Orleans Oil Spill.......

     Captain Was Not Onboard Push Boat

   
According to a news story in the Waterways Journal collision that caused the huge oil spill on the Mississippi River at New Orleans happened while the Mel Oliver’s apprentice mate was covering for his captain who had left the boat days earlier to take care of some  personal problems with his girlfriend.  The apprentice mate steered the push boat and its barge into the path of the tanker Tintomara.
 

The apprentice mate testified that he was working double watches to cover for the missing captain, catching naps during down time.

Click here to read more.

Delta Mariner Moves Spacecraft Parts From Ohio to Florida........

According to a news story in the Waterways Journal, a shipment of next generation of space vehicles was shipped from Wellsville, Ohio, to Port Canaveral, Fla. aboard the Delta Mariner. 
 

 It was the first time that the Delta Mariner had been so far up the Ohio River. The unique-looking vessel usually inspires photos and postings on river blogs when it passes….

The Delta Mariner is an unusual looking ship built by the Being Company to move space shuttle parts....

Click here to read the news story

Click here for picture of the Delta Mariner
 

To read this full story in STLtoday.com, click here

Missouri Receives $11 Million For Flood Recovery.....

According to an article in KSDK online, Missouri received $11 million for flood recovery back in May and June. There were actually 15 states this year that was awarded block grants due to natural disasters. The state of Iowa was awarded the most money $72 million. Illinois received $17 million. In fact, five of the eight states that border Missouri were awarded block grants.

To read this full article, click here

Iowa Receives Relief Money.......

The State of Iowa is going to receive an extra $71.69 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster relief through the Community Development Block Grant program. It is just part of the $300 million that was released to Iowa and other states for disaster relief. There was another $6.1 billion that was just approved by Congress last month and will be distributed soon. $2 billion will be distributed by the end of November.

To read this full story in KHQA online, click here

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

Grove Park, Along Meramec River ........

The Arnold’s Grove Park Trail and Trailhead in Valley Park along the Meramec River is finished with Phase I and had the ribbon cutting on October 18^th.

This part of the project is on top of the 70 foot wide levee andthat was widened and built up on top the rubble from the old glass factory. Phase I cost about $500,00 and includes the trail, trailhead, parking lot, walkways, picnic tables, a shelter and lighting. This part is 1.5 miles of the 12 mile Meramec Greenway Trail. It will be done in four phases.

The second phase is scheduled to begint next spring. This project is funded by the Great Rivers Greenway District, the St. Louis County Municipal Parks Grant Commission/St. Louis County Municipal League and Valley Park.

To read more about this project, click here on Suburban Journals.

 Coming Soon

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

The American Queen, full of passengers, will accompany her down the Mississippi River on her final trip.

Click here to read this news story on commercialappeal.com

St. Louis County Residents Are At Battle With MSD....

During that last flash flood we had as a result from Hurricane Ike, there were many St. Louis County residents who had three or four feet of sewage back up in their homes. This flooding came from River Des Peres. Unfortunately, many residents have been denied any help from MSD. University City, Overland and Florissant were a few of the cities that were affected by this flood. MSD claims that they should not be responsible even though several residents say that there is a lot of debris that should have been cleaned out of River Des Peres. MSD says that these residents should have flood insurance. So many of the residents did not know they were in a flood plain since they were so far away from a river. Homeowners and renters should also carry a rider on their insurance policy with basement back ups.

To read this full article, click here on STLtoday.com

Monday

October 27.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

   click on pic to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... Is a windsurfer at Creve Coeur Lake yesterday afternoon determined to get in the last bit of surfing for the day as the sun was staring to set..

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2006-----   was sent in by Steve Schulte

Hello Bill,

I was doing a helicopter photo job last Friday afternoon down town and we had a few minutes to make a quick detour to the river front for a few pics!

Enjoy Steve

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Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/26/08
Subject: LA GRANGE L/D LOWERED WICKETS MM 80.2 ILR
NAVNOTICE # 1454

SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0554-08
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
CANCEL WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0542-08 UM
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0554-08 UM
ILLINOIS RIVER
LA GRANGE L/D MM 80.2 ILR HAS LOWERED THE WICKETS IN THE DOWN POSITION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO ANTICIPATED RAINFALL IN THE AREA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT LA GRANGE L/D ON CHANNELS 14 OR 16. ALL DOWNBOUND TOWS ARE RECOMMENDED TO USE AN ASSIST VESSEL. ALL MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO TRANSIT THE AREA WITH CAUTION.


 

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Check the CG/COE Hot Topics website for most current memos

Missouri State Water Patrol News Releases.....

News Release N07080213

 Grounding  - Table Rock Lake - 10/26/2008

Location:

     Point 21, Shell Knob 
Summary : 

SUBJECT DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES WHILE OPERATING THE BOAT. THE BOAT THEN RAN AGROUND

Fessman, Otto

Click here to check out the Missouri State Water Patrol website

This Day In River History.........

27 October, 2007
 

The city of Grafton, Illinois dedicated their new lighthouse in ceremonies on the city's riverfront.
 

Alton Will Raise Levy Tax In 2009......

Alton Board had voted to raise the levy tax for 2009. This tax will increase 10.5 percent. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the residents will have a 10.5 percent raise on their tax. That will all be according to their assessment value. The Alton School District has seen an increase in health care, transportation, maintenance and operations. The increase will be around $2.6 million more than it was in the year 2007. Next year it is estimated that the levy tax will be around $27.4 million.

To read this full article in the Alton Daily News, click here

RiverBills Upcoming Events........

 We have added a boatload of upcoming boat shows to RiverBills Upcoming Event Page.

Click here and check them out !       

     4030 N Service Rd, St. Peters, MO     (636) 949-9926  

CERTIFIED TECHS TO COMPLETE MARINE REPAIR FROM THE BOW EYE

 TO THE PROP NUT.....     LEWIS BOATS CAN DO IT ALL !

We Sell First Class Products

REGAL, BOSTON WHALER & SKEETER BASS BOATS

Pontoon & Boat Hauling...Up to 44' ans 20,000 Lbs

Click here for map from Map Quest                    Click Here for website

From the Weekend Edition

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report......... dated 24 Oct is available on-line for the  Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Click here for the  "Mississippi River"  section of the report and scroll down to your favorite fishing area. 

Click here for the  "Illinois River"  section of the report and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.

Go to   http://www.ifishillinois.org for the complete report.

The Delta Queen Made Final Stop In Cincinnati, Ohio.......

The Delta Queen's home port was Cincinnati from 1946 to 1985. The vessel was designated as a  National Historic Landmark in 1989.  On this last visit to the Cincinati many, many people turned out to wish her farewell.  Some to see the sternwheeler for the first time and others to remember her in her glory.

Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot said that there is still has hope for the Delta Queen's career. "The fight to save the Delta Queen is far from over."

House Minority Leader John Boehner said the 1966 Safety at Sea Act was intended for ocean-going vessels.  It should have never been applied to the Delta Queen.

Click here to read this news story on 5WLWT.COM

The Delta Queen Paddling Down The River For The Last Time.......

The American Queen, full of passengers, will accompany her down the Mississippi River on her final trip.

Click here to read this news story on commercialappeal.com

Take A Ride On The Great River Tour Boat......

The owners of the Great River Tour Boat have been operating in Grafton for the past year. Before that, they were at Piasa for four years. They enjoy taking new people out on their boat. It holds 49 passengers and they come from all over. The tour lasts 90 minutes and it is full of great history, legends and interesting facts about the Mississippi River and the towns surrounding it. They talk about the 360 species of fish that are in the river including the Asian Carp. They even take the tour boat through a school of them where dozens of them jump up in the air. Many of them jump above the roof of the boat. This time of the year is a beautiful time to go because of the colorful leaves along the river.

To find out more about these tours and learn how to make reservations, go to www.greatriverstourboat.com or call 618-786-1855.

To read this full article in STLtoday.com, click here

River City Halloween Parades.......

The East Alton Halloween Parade will be on Thursday evening.

The Alton parade will be on Halloween night at 7:30 pm. The Alton Parade will start at Washington Avenue and Broadway.

To read this full story, click here on the Alton Daily News.

The Amazing Art of Jim Warren.......

Carol Sievers, of the boat "Misty Carol",  sent us a link to some of the art work of an unusual artist named Jim Warren. 

  According to his website......Jim is a self-taught painter who defies artistic category.

 A Los Angeles newspaper described him as "somewhere between Dali and Rockwell.
 

  Click here and check out some of his works

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

River Rat Financial Corner

     West Marine See Sales Decrease in 3rd Quarter......

According to a news article on Soundings Trade Only today dated 23 October .. West Marine reported a moderate decrease in sales and profits for their third quarter that ended in September, 2007.

Sales dropped 4.3 percent compared to same period 2007.

The company's adjusted net income was $4.8 million and 23 cents per share compared to $6.2 million and 28 cents per share for the same quarter last year. Gross profit decreased $8.2 million compared to the same quarter in 2007.

Click here to read this news story

From the Weekend Edition

River Rat Financial Corner

     Brunswick ......

According to a news article on Soundings Trade Only today.........Brunswick released of weaker-than-expected third quarter results and analysts have lowering their earnings estimates for the corporation. 

The article stated that analysts believe Brunswick’s liquidity is manageable, despite the recent downgrade of its debt rating and bankruptcy is a low probability outcome.

Brunswick products include boats, marine engines, fitness equipment, bowling and billiards.

Some Brunswick's well known boat brands include Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Harris Float Boat, Lowe Boats, Lund, Maxum, Mercury, Sea Ray...click here for more info.

Some of Brunswick marine engine brands include Mariner, Mercury, Quicksilver.. click here for more info.

Click here to read the entire news story
 

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

From the Weekend Edition

Take A Survey and Be Entered To Win VHF Marine Transmitter........

 If you like to enter contests, here is a chance for you to complete a survey for Power & Motoryacht...... and be entered to win a Standard Horizon Submersible VHF Marine Transceiver.

Click here for more info.......

Friday

October 24.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

River Dawg Shanny

   click on pic to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day......

This is River Dawg Shanny
Owner, Mary Delano

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2007-----   was from Capt'n Harry Ragland, who hails out of Sioux Harbor in the sailboat....Tapacolo.

Bill,

    This past weekend was really breezy and there were a number of sailboats out.    Here a catamaran and a sloop prepare to pass one another along the bluffs near Elsah.

Harry Ragland

  ~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/23/08
Subject: DREDGING OPERATIONS
NAVNOTICE # 1449

SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0547-08 UM
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
CANCEL WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0539-08 UM
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0547-08 UM
ILLINOIS RIVER
DREDGING OPERATIONS HAVE COMMENCED AT MM 77.2 ILR AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. DREDGING WILL BE PERFORMED 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE DREDGE AMERICA ON VHF-FM CHANNEL'S 13, 16, OR WORKING CHANNEL 8, 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL FOR PASSING INSTRUCTIONS. ALL MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO TRANSIT AT THEIR SLOWEST SAFE SPEED TO MINIMIZE WAKE AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION AFTER PASSING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
 

~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/23/08
Subject: ATON REMOVED
NAVNOTICE # 1451

SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0549-08 UM
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
CANCEL WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0512-08 UM
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0549-08 UM
MISSOURI RIVER
ALL FLOATING AIDS TO NAVIGATION FROM MILES 226.5 TO 732.4 MOR HAVE
BEEN REMOVED FOR THE 2008 NAVIGATION SEASON. ALL VESSELS ARE
REQUESTED TO TRANSIT THIS PORTION OF THE RIVER WITH CAUTION.

 

Check the CG/COE Hot Topics website for most current memos

Oasis Bar & Grill Update.......

New Business Hours to Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm

The Tony Campanella Band Saturday night Oct 25

Park Road for our Spooky Halloween Party

Prizes for 1st, 2nd. & 3rd places you won't believe how good they are!!

BeaverSoup Nov 15

Hope too see you there!

Thanks for everyone's support

Raye Anne & Rob

How To Load A Boat onto a Pickup......

Bill,

Thought everyone might like this one.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/972246/

Corporal Lou Amighetti

Public Information Officer

Missouri State Water Patrol

RiverBill says... We also received an e-mail from Steve Nonn, who hails out of Alton Marina in the boat "Nothin But A Good Time" .......about "How To Load a Boat onto a Pickup Truck."

Search For The Missing Fisherman .........

Missouri Department of Conservation News

     Tim Smith is New Conservation Ombudsman .......

RiverBill's received the following e-mail from Jim Low of the Missouri Dept of Conservation
 

JEFFERSON CITY–Think of Tim Smith as Wikipedia for conservation. Whether you are buffaloed by beavers, baffled by bureaucracy or just need to vent, he is your man.

Smith, a 22-year employee of the Missouri Department of Conservation, assumed duties as the agency’s ombudsman Oct. 16. He replaced Ken Drenon, who held the job from its inception in 1998 until his retirement Oct. 15.

The Conservation Department created the ombudsman’s position so Missourians would have one person they could approach with any question or problem.

“Missourians care deeply about their wild resources,” said Outreach and Education Division Chief Lorna Domke, “and consequently they have a lot of questions and suggestions about how those resources should be managed. Sometimes they have honest disagreements over conservation matters. We pride ourselves on public service, but with more than 1,000 employees scattered around the state, it can be hard to find the right person to address your specific concern. That is Tim’s job. He is the only person you need to know to get help.”

Domke said Smith was chosen for the job in part because of his broad knowledge of conservation programs. He responded to thousands of questions in his previous work as a botanist, and his scientific knowledge is balanced by personal interests that include upland bird hunting and fishing.

Just as important, Domke said, “Tim is a very thoughtful, reasonable person. He listens carefully to others’ concerns and does his best to answer questions and resolve problems to their satisfaction.”

Smith said he hopes to continue Drenon’s excellent service in responding to the wide range of subjects that people bring to the ombudsman’s office.

“I have always enjoyed working with the public,” Smith said. “Many of our questions come from Missourians who have little other contact with our department, and I want to provide informative, prompt and profesional responses. I know that I work for the people of Missouri, and I will respond to contacts in that spirit.”

Missourians can contact Smith by phone, 573-751-4115, ext. 3848; by e-mail, Tim.Smith@mdc.mo.gov; or by mail at P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.

-Jim Low-

~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~

Click here to go the Missouri Department of Conservation website
 

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

You Might Be A River Boater If......

Hey Bill,

I thought it was time to update the "You might be a River Boater If".... so here are a few new ones!

If you are willing to wade through ice cold, waist deep water at 6:00 am so your River Dawg can "do it's business"...

If the first two web sites you log on to everyday are "Riverbills" and "What's Up on the River".......

If you know that a "Wing Dike" has nothing to do with Gay bars but that you should avoid them anyway........

If you would never operate your boat without a working depth finder.......

If you have several more PFD's on your boat than people your boat is rated to carry......

If you understand why there can be a successful business that only repairs props..........

If you know the difference between "haul out" and "pump out".........

If you have paid $8.00 to pee...........(could ONLY happen in Illinois!)

Keep them coming, I hope we get some more contributions!

Dave Bullington

Woodland Marina

"Whoz Yer Daddy"

dcbullington@att.net

Click here for more ...."You Might Be A River Boater If" sayings.

River News From Afar

   St. Paul, MN............

  17 Year Old Boy’s Body Found In The Mississippi River

A 17 year old boy left his home in St. Paul, MN on a bicycle in May. They had found his bike in some bushes a few days after he was missing. His body was finally found in late August near the Ford Plant in St. Paul. By this time, his body was so badly decomposed that they had to use DNA to identify his body. Evidently he left home in a “maniac stage.” The police are still convinced that there was no foul play involved.

 To read this full article in the Star Tribune, click here

Click here for The Big Muddy October Event & Dinner Special Calendar

Halloween Party....Friday, Oct 31st..       Click here

Missouri Department of Conservation Upcoming Fishing Events

     Free Fishing Days....

Click here to go to the Missouri Department of Conservation website for more information

River News From Afar ...

     Minnesota   

     Historic Swinging Bridge May Be Coming Down

A century old Mississippi River swinging bridge that crosses at Hastings, Minnesota is scheduled for demolition.

The U.S. Coast Guard ordered the bridge to be removed in 2001 because of its potential to disrupt navigation on the river. Since then Local officials have been contemplating it's future. 

One option being considered is to take bridge completely out. Another option is to make the western approach into a park.

To read more about this bridge in the Twin City News, click here

Click here  for picture of the bridge and to read more in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

 Dead Zones Could Partly Be Blamed On Plastic......

The areas of dead zones seem to be growing all over the world. These are areas where there is not enough oxygen getting to the area, that fish and wildlife cannot survive for any length of time. Officials have found that plastic bags and plastic bottles are partly to blame for this. Since they are not biodegradable, they do not go away.   In fact, some areas are not allowing any kind of plastic bags or plastic bottles on the beach or around the water.

To read more about this fast growing problem in the Scientific American click here

Thursday

October 23.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

click on pic to enlarge

Our River Pictures of the Day...... are from Sherri Stanczak

Hi, Bill,
Here are some photos I took last night (10-05-08). While we were at the beach, Denny Schwandt and his wife, Mary flew over the beach in their sea plane. Mike waved at them from the sandbar and they turned around and pulled right up to the beach. He even took a few of our friends for a ride. We met Denny last week at Boaters for M.S. His mother died from M.S. a few years ago, so he wanted to do something for the benefit. He donated a 1/2 ride for our auction. They are both very sweet people and they were a hit last night when they drew in a crowd at the beach.

Sherri A. Stanczak

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

Melvin Price Lock and Dam

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2007-----   were from Capt'n Rick Flier, who hails out of North Shore Marina in the cruiser Miss Sippy. 

Bill,

            My cousin works for the Corps of Engineers, based out of San Francisco , and was in town with 350 other Corps associates, last week. I was fortunate enough to be invited to tour the Melvin Price Lock and Dam with the group on Friday, 7/20/07. I took some pictures of the Dam and some of the group, from Washington DC to San Francisco , as well as “Jim” and officer Cargill, in the Control Tower. What a spectacular view!!! For those of us that have not made the tour of the Lock and Dam, I would highly suggest stopping by and seeing the operation. The folks there are great to talk with and the statistics are staggering. I told Jim and my cousin that I was going to send this in to you and to make sure they keep an eye on Riverbills.com. I think both will be frequent visitors to your site. If you get a chance to throw this on the site, I’d really appreciate it.

 thanks,

 Rick Flier

Motor vessel “MISS SIPPY” 

  ~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/22/08
Subject: Hydraulic Dredging MM 241.7 ILR
NAVNOTICE # 1447

SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0545-08 UM
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0545-08 UM
ILLINOIS RIVER
HYDRAULIC DREDGING OPERATIONS WILL COMMENCE AT BULL'S ISLAND MM 241.7
ILR ON MONDAY 27OCT08 AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
DREDGING WILL BE 24 HOURS PER DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. MARINERS ARE
REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE DREDGE BUXTON II ON CHANNELS 13, 16, OR
WORKING CHANNEL 78, 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO TRANSITING THE AREA FOR
PASSING INSTRUCTIONS. NO CROSSING LINES WILL BE IN PLACE. MARINERS
ARE URGED TO TRANSIT AT THEIR SLOWEST SAFE SPEED TO MINIMIZE WAKE AND
PROCEED WITH CAUTION AFTER PASSING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
 

~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/22/08
Subject: Hydraulic Dredging MM 344.0 UMR
NAVNOTICE # 1448

UBJ: WESTERN RIVER BNM NR 0546-08 UM
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL 131700Z NOV 08
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0546-08 UM
UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
HYDRAULIC DREDGING OPERATIONS WILL COMMENCE AT WILLOW BAR ISLAND, MM
344.0 UMR ON THURSDAY 23OCT08 UNTIL APPROXIMATELY WEDNESDAY 12NOV08.
DREDGING WILL BE 24 HOURS PER DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK. MARINERS ARE
REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE DREDGE GOETZ ON CHANNELS 13, 16 OR 82, 30
MINUTES PRIOR TO TRANSITING THE AREA FOR PASSING INSTRUCTIONS. A
CROSSING LINE WILL BE IN PLACE. MARINERS ARE URGED TO TRANSIT AT
THEIR SLOWEST SAFE SPEED TO MINIMIZE WAKE AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION
AFTER PASSING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.


 

Search For Missing Fisherman Is Still Going......

The fisherman that went missing on Saturday, still has not been found. They have recovered seven of the ten nets of fish that he had caught for a fish fry they were going to have at the church. The search crew has a Tow Fish sonar, which allows them to search the bottom of the river. 

To read this full story in the Alton Daily News, click here

23 October 2006 In River History.......
 

Dozens passengers aboard the Mississippi Queen Riverboat got sick from some sort of stomach virus on a trip from Cincinnati to St. Louis. The boat to make stops in Paducah, Kentucky and then Cape Girardeau, Missouri where the sick were provided medical treatment.

Source : KSDK NewsChannel 5
 

Delta Queen on ABC News and CNN.......

RiverBill's received the following e-mail from the Save the Delta Queen Campaign Team
 

Dear Bill,

the Delta Queen eventually is making it to the national news! ABC News Good Morning America Show will air a piece about the Delta Queen this Saturday, October 25 (might be postponed to Sunday, Oct. 26, so watch for it on both days!).

CNN is featuring the Delta Queen very soon, too. Check CNN's ireport.com website - they're asking for your comments, videos, photos, memories. I think the more feedback they get, the more we can encourage them to cover our story as breaking news and with probably more than just one news piece. So if you can, please go to ireport.com (http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=121249) and participate in some way (rating, commenting, uploading your own photos, videos, memories, comments).

If we can generate enough public interest in our story and if we can show our Senators and Representatives that it helps them getting re-elected if they support the Delta Queen, there is a good chance to get the exemption for the Delta Queen in the Congress' lame duck session in November.

Again, thanks so much for your continuous support. Without your support we won't have come this far! Together we'll save the Delta Queen!

Yours Sincerely
Franz Neumeer
www.save-the-delta-queen.org
 

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

Missouri's Winter Trout Season Begins Nov. 14............

According to a news story on the Missouri Department of Conservation website .... Missouri's winter trout season begins on the same day as the state's deer season.....Nov.14.  A light turnout is expected.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will still stock the normal amount of fish even thought a lighter than normal turnout is expected.   The stocking rates in the Winter are lower than those during the peak fishing months, because harvesting is not permitted. Winter season stocking includes large fish that are not needed for brood stock at the trout hatcheries. That means there are more “lunkers” to catch !

This year’s winter no-creel season runs from Nov. 14 through Feb. 9.

Click here to read the entire news article.

US Coast Guard Photo

Tanker Truck Spill Survey

ALAMEDA, Calif., A U. S. Coast Guard helicopter crew surveys marinas along the Oakland Embarcadaro for signs of spilled fuel and firefighting water runoff following a fuel tanker truck crash and fire on Interstate 880 Wednesday, October 21.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Dan Dewell)
 

Richard Branson Goes For Trans-Atlantic Record .......

Click here to read this news story.
 

This Year's Federal Duck Stamp .......

Click here to read this news article.
 

River Destinations

    The St. Louis Arch..........

The National Park Service is favoring a project to change the arch grounds. There would be an alternative look to the park grounds, increase education opportunities and add some visitor amenities such as a restaurant. They may also add more pedestrian walkways and more welcoming entrances to the arch grounds. They would also like to have a three block connector to help visitors be able to come from downtown St. Louis. One other thing they are looking into is a new destination museum or even a cultural institution down by the Arch.

To read this full story on myfoxstl.com, click here
 

River History...... Past Archives from the On-line Alton Telegraph

 Featured on October 4th, 2007edition was a picture from 1938 showing firefighters on the Alton riverfront testing out a new fire engine.  They used the Mighty Mississippi as as a water source to check out the pumper.

  Click here and take-a-look .."back in river time."

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Keokuk’s Proposed Riverfront Changes......

Officials in Keokuk is proposing a plan to making this riverfront town more enticing to tourists. They have some plans in mind to make the grounds more attractive and make it more appealing to visitors that may come through.

To read more about this proposed project, click here on KHQA online

Wednesday

October 22.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

click on pic to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... was sent in by Capt'n Gary Meinershagen, who hails out of the Yacht Club of St. Louis

Hello Riverbill.

Attached is a picture of one of your "Girls of Pool 26 (Rivermaid)" - Judybeads.

We are in Key West at Mile Marker "0" at the end of Route 1.

I guess we're at the end of our line.

Having fun at Fantasy Fest - such a site to see.

Gary

 

 Yesteryears Picture of the Day

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2007-----   was of the some of the beautiful women we have here on Alton Lake. 

   We were anchored out in Sun Tan Slough one hot lazy afternoon during the 1st weekend in August when I persuaded these beauties to pose for a picture for RiverBills.com.

The Girls of Sun Tan Slough !

  ~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/21/08
Subject: LA GRANGE L/D
NAVNOTICE # 1444

P 211846Z OCT 08
FM COMCOGARD SECTOR UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER ST LOUIS MO
TO CCGDEIGHT NEW ORLEANS LA//DRMC/DR/DP/DPW/DW//
INFO USCGC SANGAMON
NGA NAVSAFETY BETHESDA MD
COGARD NAVCEN ALEXANDRIA VA//IRVMC//
BT
UNCLAS //N16502//
SUBJ: WESTERN RIVERS BNM NR 0542-08
SAFETY AND SCHED BCSTS UNTIL CANCELLED
USCG NOTICE TO MARINERS EIGHTH DISTRICT NR 0542-08 UM
ILLINOIS RIVER
LA GRANGE L/D MM 80.2 ILR WILL BE LEAVING 20 OF THE WICKETS IN THE
DOWN POSITION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO ANTICIPATED RAINFALL IN THE AREA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT LA GRANGE L/D ON CHANNELS 14 OR 16. ALL DOWNBOUND TOWS ARE RECOMMENDED TO USE AN ASSIST VESSEL. ALL MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO TRANSIT THE AREA WITH CAUTION.
BT




 

Oasis Bar & Grill Update.......

New Business Hours to Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm

The Tony Campanella Band Saturday night Oct 25

Park Road for our Spooky Halloween Party

Prizes for 1st, 2nd. & 3rd places you won't believe how good they are!!

BeaverSoup Nov 15

Hope too see you there!

Thanks for everyone's support

Raye Anne & Rob

Delta Queen’s Last Visit To Ohio.....

The Ohio River was the Delta Queen’s home port for 82 years. On Tuesday it parked to bid it farewell. One couple who lives there has many memories on this riverboat. They celebrated their 25^th and 35^th anniversary on this boat and will be celebrating their 45^th anniversary on early, since their anniversary is not until next spring. There are many people who are still fighting to keep the Delta Queen going. Congress has refused to grant another exemption from a federal safety law that bans overnight passengers in a boat with a wooden superstructure. There are some who still say that this 1966 law applied to ocean going vessels and never should have applied to the Delta Queen.

To read this full article in the telegraph.com, click here

Solar Powered Houseboat.......

According to a news story on WGEM from Quincy, IL...... Doug Bato and Laura Smith, are on a journey down the Mississippi River in a 25 foot solar powered houseboat.  They started in Wisconsin and plan to continue down the river spreading a "green message."

The solar panels on their boat produce about 350 watts of solar energy each day to power the lights, fridge, computer and cell phones for several hours.

According to Smith solar energy technology has come a long way and solar panels are better while becoming cheaper.  A person can recover the cost almost immediately.

Corporate sponsors are welcome.

Click here to read this news story and watch the video.

Click here to go to the Rotten Apple Ciderhouse Website

River Facts......

Did you know that the narrowest part of the Mississippi River is only 20-30 feet wide at it's origin at Lake Itasca. 

The widest part of the Mississippi River is over 11 miles at Lake Winnibigoshish near Bena, Minnesota.

The widest navigable part of the Mississippi River is located at Lake Pepin, where it is approximately two miles wide.
 

Source...... http://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm

Piasa Film Festival.........

The Piasa Film Festival will debut this Saturday.

There will be 13 films out of the St. Louis area. It will be held at the Midtown Theatre in Woodriver. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5 per person. A few of the films that will be playing are the “101 Dalmatians”, “Ultra” and “Shadowland” which is a full length film made in the St. Louis area. The festival will last from 5:30 through 11:00.

For more information, click here on the Alton Daily news

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

Campaign 2008 Issue

    Restoring the Great Lakes............

According to a news story in the Prairie States Outdoors website, scientist warn that the the Great Lakes are in poor health and on the verge of ecological ruin.  The main  problems are big-city sewage and invasive species.

Both presidential candidates promise to support restoration and cleanup of the Great Lakes.  A rescue is expected to cost $20 billion and with the nation's financial current crisis one surely has to question how such an effort will be funded.

Both the Obama and McCain agree that the Great Lakes need help but disagree over the approach.
 
Click here to read more
 

The Search Continues For the Missing Fisherman.........

The search continued to look for the fisherman who has been missing since Saturday. His boat was discovered going in circles at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It eventually hit land on the Missouri side. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is leading this search, but is working with several other agencies. There are many who are searching by foot. There are also search dogs involved and also sonar equipment.

To read this full story in the Alton Daily News, click here

Duck Counts for the Mississippi And Illinois Rivers......

Fish Virus From Great Lakes Could Spread to The Mississippi River.......

To read more about this article in the Washington Post, click here

Palisades Update.....

   Next Events are

    November 8th .... Haul Party/Pig Roast

RiverBill's 2008 Flood Pictures

  Click here and check them out.....

Click on the "i" icon in the picture to turn on text info.

Man Threw People Off Of Yacht..........

To read this full article in the Mad Mariner, click here

 River Destinations

    St. Charles...........

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Heart breaking moments at Cincinnati
Oct 22, 2008

It had been heart breaking moments when the crowd on the Cincinnati levee watched the Delta Queen lift her stage on Tuesday evening, probably for the last time in history.

Tom Schiffer and John Fryant did a great job in documenting this sad historic moment when almost 200 years of steamboat history at Cincinnati ended; at least so far. (for more pictures, see steamboats.org message board: Final Whistle Salute to Cincinnati)

But there is still a lot of hope that the Delta Queen will return, under her own steam. So let’s not stop fighting for saving our beloved Delta Queen but let’s do even more to stop evil politicians to play their dirty games on the Delta Queen.

Tuesday

Oct 21.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

click on pic to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... Is a shot of Gary and Judy Meinershagen's "Cajun Cabin" being raised.  The cabin is located near Dardenne Slough on Lehmann Island.

The recent water level stains can be seen on the white house in the background....
 

Click here to visit Classic Marine's website             Click here to e-mail Michelle

 Yesteryears Picture of the Day

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2006-----   was of the start of the  changing of the colors on the bluffs that grace our river along the Great River Road between the cities of Grafton and Alton, IL.  

   Captain Robert Cope, of the boat Slow Ride.  What a good shot of the bluffs, the river road, the blue sky and the blue water. 

  ~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~

Search Continues For Missing Fisherman Near Grafton ......

According to a news report in the Prairie States Outdoors website...... The search continues for the missing commercial fisherman whose boat was spotted running in circles over the weekend in the Mississippi River near Grafton.

 The missing fisherman has been identified as 53-year-old Herbert Dierking of Medora, Illinois by the Department of Natural Resources conservation police. He reportedly was fishing alone to catch fish for a church fish fry.

The search started on Saturday morning when the Grafton police were informed of an empty john boat running in circles at the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. The john boat ran aground out on the Missouri side of the river.
 

Click here to read this news story.

Oasis Bar & Grill Update.......

New Business Hours to Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm

The Tony Campanella Band Saturday night Oct 25

Park Road for our Spooky Halloween Party

Prizes for 1st, 2nd. & 3rd places you won't believe how good they are!!

BeaverSoup Nov 15

Hope too see you there!

Thanks for everyone's support

Raye Anne & Rob

Bow Fishing On The Mississippi River.......

Bow fishing is becoming a popular sport with archers in the Missouri area. The first bow fishing agency opened up in Arkansas in 1990. Now there are 28 organizations within 15 states. A couple of well known bow fishermen in the area, like to go fishing at night time. One of them shines the light on the fish, while the other one aims the bow and then shoots the fish. Many times they fish for the Asian Carp which has really grown in population in the past several years.

To read more about this growing sport, click here on the riverfronttimes.com

Click here to go to the Rotten Apple Ciderhouse Website

Marine Fuel Refund --- It's that time of the year again....Don't forget to send in your State of Missouri "Motor Fuel Refund Claim."

 For more information go to the Missouri Department of Revenue - Motor Fuel Tax website at http://www.dor.mo.gov/tax/business/fuel/

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin

Public Notices Open For Comment

   Posted on the US Army Corps Of Engineers Website.....

1. P-2684:The applicant seeks authorization to fill approximately 0.60-acres of scrub-shrub wetland and 0.52-acres of emergent wetland to expand their existing facility that receives and stores clean fill from offsite sources. The project area is located at 14120 Missouri Bottom Road, Bridgeton, Missouri near the intersection of Highway 370 and Earth City Expressway. More specifically, in Section 19, 47 North, Range 5 East, St. Louis County.

Click here for more information on the above notice

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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.

Louisiana, Mo

    Great Mississippi River Duck Race.........

Click here to go to Little John's Inc

Palisades Update.....

   Next Events are

    November 8th .... Haul Party/Pig Roast

RiverBill's 2008 Flood Pictures

  Click here and check them out.....

Click on the "i" icon in the picture to turn on text info.

    Grafton Harbor....

Oct 25th -Saturday  - Sunset Saturday & Vintage Riverboat Parade 11:00am

Nov 20th -Thursday - Women of Grafton Harbor Event - "Menopause The Musical"

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Click here to go to Grafton Harbor's website

 SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN

For more info go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org 

Tributes to the Delta Queen: Cincinnati, Madison, Louisville
Oct 16, 2008

The Delta Queen will arrive in Cincinnati on Tuesday, October 21 for her final visit of the 2008 season. Majestic America Line will hold a "Farewell Tribute" beginning at 4:00 p.m., with their invited guests arriving between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m.

The boat is scheduled to arrive in Cincinnati at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 5:00 p.m., although most likely she will not depart until 6:00 or later. She will go upriver to Maysville, Kentucky, arriving early in the morning on Wednesday and departing at 1:00 p.m. She will then head back downriver to Madison, Indiana, where she is scheduled to arrive at 8:00 a.m. and remain until 1:00 p.m.

If you live in the Cincinnati area, or if you are a passenger arriving or departing on October 21, please come to the Public Landing with the biggest Save the Delta Queen sign you can come up with. Most likely the media will be there in the greatest concentration between 3:00 and 6:30 p.m.

If you can also get to Madison the following day (October 22), please go on over, and take as many people as possible with you.

At Louisville the staff of the Belle of Louisville and Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson will hold a party Friday, Oct. 24, to celebrate the legacy of the Delta Queen. A public ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. at the Louisville riverfront. The boat will depart Louisville at 8 p.m. Admission is free and family events will run until 11 p.m.

Not a "Good Bye"!

Remember: We are not bidding the Delta Queen goodbye. We are sending her off to rest in New Orleans for the winter while we continue the fight to have her exempted once and for all from a law that should never have involved her.

Monday

Oct 20.. 2008

Over 1.9 Million Visitors Strong !

 Picture of the Day

River Party Animals

click on pic to enlarge

Our River Picture of the Day...... Is from Capt'n Steve Nonn, who hails out of Alton Marina in the boat, "Nothin But A Good TIme"

Good day Bill,

Here is a photo of "party animals" Sue Brown, Charlene Hernandez and riverdawg Stella last Sunday (10-12-08)  as they take a boat ride on an absolutely gorgeous October day on the river. They are on the back of Capt. Brian Hernandez's boat Docktor's Excuse. They all hail out of Alton Marina.

Sincerely

Steve Nonn

Alton Marina
 

 Yesteryears Picture of the Day

Click on pic to enlarge

Yester Year's River Pictures of the Day 2005-----    was sent in by Captain Randy Bicknese of the boat "Lady Di".  

Bill,

The pic was taken last Thursday ( 10-13-2005) while we were skiing in Dardenne Slough.  The water was great and there was not many other boats around. If all goes well, we'll be back out there this week.  The girls ( Diane of Lady Di and Susan of Cutty's Ark ) won't give up on ski season which helps keep me out there too.

Randy

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Navigation Notices ......

To: ALL MARINERS
From: Coast Guard Upper Miss
Date: 10/19/08
Subject: Dredging Operation MM 224.0 UMR (BNM NR 0539-08)
NAVNOTICE # 1443

DREDGING OPERATIONS HAVE COMMENCED AT MM 224.0 UMR AND WILL CONTINUE
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. DREDGING WILL BE PERFORMED 24 HOURS A DAY, 7
DAYS A WEEK. MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE DREDGE AMERICA ON
VHF-FM CHANNEL'S 13, 16, OR WORKING CHANNEL 8, 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO
ARRIVAL FOR PASSING INSTRUCTIONS. ALL MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO
TRANSIT AT THEIR SLOWEST SAFE SPEED TO MINIMIZE WAKE AND PROCEED WITH
CAUTION AFTER PASSING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

 

Meramec River Is Longer Than They Had Calculated.......

A group of kayakers and canoes this spring set out to take a trip across the whole Meramec River. They started at the Lake of the Ozarks and took it to the end where the confluence of the Mississippi River meets in Arnold. They took their GPS systems with them and they also took notes along the way. They had a diary of the wildlife they encountered and the people that they met. The most interesting thing that they found was that the Meramec River is eight miles longer than it is supposed to be. The river is said to be 193 miles long. Another thing that they found was that the first part of the river was crystal clear. However, the farther they went the dirtier the water became. Some of these people already belong to the Clean Stream Team and are determined to make this one of their next clean up spots.

To read this full article in STLtoday.com, click here

Con Trios Membership Party......  RiverBills received the following e-mal from Capt'n Darryll, Web Master for Con Trios Yacht Club

Bill,

Posted some pictures and a recap of Saturday's Membership Party at Duck Club Yacht Club.Go to the Con Trios website, www.contriosyachtclub.org, to read the story and see the pictures.

Thanks to Fleet Captain Denny and his lovely bride Pat for another wonderful party.

Darryll Weil, webmaster, Con Trios Yacht Club.

Halloween Party...Rotten Apple.......

Saturday October 25th is the Rotten Apples' 3rd annual Halloween party. The party starts at 7:00 with movies on the Riverbender projection truck. There will be a costume contest and prizes given out. Not to mention the drink specials made with Vampyre red vodka. So come on down and enjoy a ghoulish good time with your friends at the Rotten Apple.

Rotten Apple Ciderhouse & Microbrewery
220 West Main Street
Grafton, Illinois 62037
618/786-2798

Hannibal’s 32^nd Annual Folklife Festival

This weekend was the 32^nd Annual Folklife Festival. Their streets were lined with booths. They had music, food, several types of artists and even children’s activities. There were at least 100 vendors to show off their items.

To read this full story in KHQA online, click here

Two Rivers Marina is For Sale.............

Two Rivers Marina is a 200+ slip facility located on the Mississippi River across the U.S. Highway 54 bridge from Louisiana, Missouri. A convenient overnight trip from all St. Louis marinas to the south, and Keokuk or Quincy to the north.

For more information go to the Two River Marina website...tworiversmarina.com

Click here for map
 

Thank you
Jamie Aslin