In This Newsletter:

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  Quote of the Week

"People habitat has to take priority over bird habitat." -- U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)

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  A Personal Note From Jack

Last week (March 24) I ran a brief news story titled: Missouri River Water Battle Heats Up--Again! The story reported on a "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" article written by the governor of Montana, which amounted to a written "shame on you" piece aimed at Missouri and how state officials, he thinks, were not cooperative in negotiating Missouri River water management, thereby preventing the basin from storing up another five-year supply of water since 1999. Below in the letters section I have included a letter from John LaRandeau, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who has allowed me to publish a brief piece he recently distributed. The article has to do with Missouri River navigation and the importance thereof. It is not truly a letter to the editor, but we are handling it as such.

Sen. Byron Dorgan is a loose cannon. Like so many of his cohorts, he does not understand fully the value of water resource development. He is definitely in support of removing the towing industry from the Missouri River entirely. Last month he proposed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that "it would be cheaper for the U.S. Government to just buy out the barge industry rather than continue to spend literally millions of dollars to support the $7 million industry."

A "Mobridge (SD) Tribune" editorial writer is also pretty much in the dark about water transportation values. He is, as could be expected, also prejudiced in favor of the entire viewpoint expressed by North Dakota and South Dakota officials during the most recent years of this ongoing water war.

He chides barge-industry officials who he says are "calling Dorgan's idea 'absolute lunacy", then says, "It may be the only idea that could bring resolve to the long-running dispute over the Corps' management of water resources on the 2,341-mile long Missouri River.

Removing the towing industry from the river would be removing only one of many factors that must be dealt with when managing Missouri flows during drought.

Sen. Dorgan, in a letter to Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, outlined his idea to buy out the four barge companies that operate on the Missouri River. As far as we know, he got no response.

Now Sen. Dorgan is saying that he will use his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to move $83 million the Bush Administration wants to spend to build 'sandbar bird hotels' in the middle of the Missouri River [in order] to meet urgent water needs of North Dakota communities.

The implication by this "loose cannon" is that the Bush Administration is truly going down the wrong path with its plans for sandbars. At first glance it might seem that way. However, Sen. Dorgan and his fellow critics have short memories. Not too long ago, they were all supporting the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service efforts to force the Corps to spend money to clean up sandbars that exist and create new ones for the benefit of the least interior terns and piping plovers.

Part of the argument then was whether the Corps should be allowed to continue moving nests on the sandbars during critical times--a process that the Corps reports is beneficial and preserves birds. In fact, reports show that the bird populations are increasing, and that is the key reason the courts have sided with the Corps, giving the Corps total control of river management. The critics and the USFWS could not prove their case.

But back to our point. It is our contention that it is because of river critics and people like Sen. Dorgan that the Corps has been forced, for environmental reasons, to spend money that it should not have to spend on "sandbar bird hotels."

Now let us shift to our quote of the week.

"People habitat has to take priority over bird habitat." -- U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)

It couldn't have been said better if we had said it ourselves. As writer of editorials for "The Waterways Journal", I have been saying for years that people were more important than birds and fish, that the welfare of humanity should be put above the welfare of some endangered species, whose existence in large or small numbers makes little difference. Sen. Dorgan just has to decide specifically which action it is that he supports, and evaluate the impact resulting from taking it.

As was pointed out to me recently, the endangered species on or in the Missouri are the canaries of the region. The implied indication is that if the species dies, that is a sign that the environment is not safe and other things will die as well. (Miners used to carry canaries into the coal mines because they were very sensitive to poisonous gas. If they succumbed, the workers still had time to get out before being overcome.)

The comparison is hogwash. The reality is that it is the existence of sandbars (or lack thereof) that turns the tide for the birds. Their existence and condition depend almost entirely upon water flows, which are controlled by the Corps. It is not that the environment believed to be required for the existence of these birds is being poisoned, that the environment is being made unsuitable by some toxic "ism" that will ultimately destroy mankind. The lack of sandbars, or their existence is great numbers, will not destroy other species in the food chain and ultimately wipe out other species. To imply so, or even to allow the implication to exist, is dishonest.

There is no question (as you will be able to read in the WJ editorial of March 21) that the Missouri River is in deep trouble as far as having enough water is concerned. Two factors play a major role in this condition. First, we are already in the seventh year of a major drought. Snow fall and snow melt in the Rockies and elsewhere has been insufficient to provide adequate runoff to keep the river operating as we normally expect it to. It is expected to be roughly 60 percent of normal. Second, man's various uses for water have increased exponentially over the decades and we are constantly "scooping" it out for one reason or another. As an afterthought, we must remember that whatever water flows freely and untouched down the Missouri ends up in the Gulf of Mexico and lost to us forever unless it comes back to us via evaporation and rainfall.

So the Corps challenge, as keeper of the water supply, is to manage water to accommodate all of the various beneficial programs. With drought in force and the supply continually dwindling, every stakeholder will be required to suffer (relinquish a share) until Mother Nature decides to re-supply us. That is the problem.

Over recent decades, stakeholders have always blamed the Corps when their own various needs were not being totally met as they expected them to be. South Dakota, for instance, has been in favor of saving birds, saving the endangered pallid sturgeon, dumping the Corps, managing water to enhance its own walleyed pike and northern pike fisheries, etc. First they want an induced spring flood, then they don't.

Unfortunately, out of all this business of water wars and fighting stakeholders, towing-industry critics have come out full force, aided by their environmental friends, in an effort to halt towing on the Missouri and, just as bad, to shift river management away from the Corps. This latter effort is tragic, because the U.S. Government has no other agency that knows the rivers and has the experience that the Corps has.

We suspect that if Mother Nature crowned the mountains out West with more snow than they knew what to do with, those who ski would be thrilled and so would water users everywhere. The rivers would fill, the needs would be met, and the Corps could back to its usual routine of managing flows. At that point, Sen. Dorgan and environmental critics would no doubt start harping again about the poor terns and plovers. And don't forget the pallid sturgeon. People, it seems, are not happy unless they are making life miserable for someone. The people of the Corps have been the target of this scorn and treatment for years.

Does it ever occur to critics that when water becomes plentiful and wet years come around more often, the Corps will still have to juggle the water in the reservoirs to control flooding. The agency's record for having prevented billions in flood damage is well known.

As for water transportation, the reasons for demand being down are numerous. Among them, however, is that critics like Sen. Dorgan, and others who want the Corps to "do handstands for the birds and fish" have interfered continually in the water management process to meet their own needs. We have reported that some $80 million has been set aside in the budget for environmental work on the Missouri. That's probably the same $80 million plus that Sen. Dorgan is talking about.

I do not suggest that their needs are illegitimate. I am suggesting only that when the well is running dry, we all have to take our licks and do so in a more controlled fashion so that we can all survive. The river industry has already taken a big lick. Operations are virtually halted.

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  For Those Inclined To Pray

Join our Prayer Circle so that you can tap into the prayerful support of the circle members. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. The activity of the Prayer Circle is confined totally outside of our weekly newsletter. With the exception of this segment, all contact is made, ultimately, through jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. To learn about the prayer circle click here.

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  On The Waterfront

Coal Barge, Ship Collide in Mobile Ship Channel

The "Mobile Register" reported on March 22 that a coal barge being towed by the Mv. Christy and the ship Star Drivanger collided at 2:30 a.m. Monday in the Mobile Ship Channel just east of McDuffie Island Coal Terminal. According to the Coast Guard, both ship and barge were damaged badly but there was no pollution.

An Alabama Docks spokesperson said the vessels are grounded but are not completely blocking vessels from entering or exiting the Port of Mobile. It was described as a minor inconvenience.

The vessels were damaged near the waterline. As a precautionary measure, large commercial ships with a draft of 18 feet or more were, up to 4 p.m. Tuesday, required to get Coast Guard permission to pass the grounded vessels.

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Fuel Barge Grounds Near Mouth of Columbia River

Concern is in vogue in Washington state today as efforts continue to remove the fuel barge Millicoma from rocky bluffs where it ran aground Saturday near the mouth of the Columbia River. The barge is empty but carries 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel in its internal fuel tank. It was being towed by the tug Howard Olsen, owned by Foss Maritime.

Officials were hoping the weather would break so they could either offload the fuel or pull the barge off the beach. At least one oil-spill company response team was dispatched to the site. The accident site is in an area rich with wildlife and historic landmarks.

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Fire Department Rescuers Pull Barge Worker To Safety

The Associated Press reported out of Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 18 that fire department rescuers from Tuscaloosa and Northport, Ala., worked more than 90 minutes to aid a barge worker who fell 15 feet from a ladder into the Black Warrior River. Bill Young, 37, was working on a Parker Towing Service barge at the time.

Rescuers said the effort took as long as it did because it was difficult to get the footing needed to haul the man out of the water. Young, who was conscious during the rescue, complained of back and neck pain. The report said he was in good condition at a Tuscaloosa hospital.

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McAlpine Lock Closure Will Halt Traffic for 12 Hours

The Louisville Engineer District has announced that McAlpine Lock Ohio River Mile 606.8, at Louisville, Ky., will be closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 30 to enable the contractor to set five bridge girders across the existing 1,200-foot lock chamber. This will put the only operating chamber out of commission. If conditions are not favorable for the work, the work will be done on March 31.

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Miss Julie's Crew Praised for Heroic Rescue

"The Waterways Journal" has reported this week that the crew if towboat Miss Julie, and its relief captain Mike Allen, are being praised for heroism after rescuing 10 people from Matagorda Bay near Port O'Connor, Texas.

The 800-hp. Miss Julie, owned by Hard's Marine Service Ltd., Hull, Texas, was moving one barge in the north channel of the bay when its crew spotted first a capsized 18-foot boat and then groups of survivors in the water nearby.

Capt. Allen maneuvered the Miss Julie to where he could ground the boat as three other crewmen, Brian Mills, Michael Jordan and Capt. Ray Adaway pulled four people from the water. With radio assistance from Allen, a Coast Guard rescue boat was able to navigate to a second group. The rescued people were all taken aboard the Miss Julie, wrapped in blankets and warmed up.

Later, a 13-year-old girls was rescued from the bow of the overturned craft, and a woman was rescued as she tried to swim to shore. One young boy drowned and another was missing.

Editor's note: I recommend you turn to your March 21 WJ for a very detailed account of the rescue. To visit the WJ site by click here.

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Corps Seeks Bids for Upper Miss Locks & Dam 11

While it may seem that headway on the Upper Mississippi River navigation projects are at a complete standstill, the Rocks Island Engineer District is soliciting bids for Stage II major rehabilitation of Lock & Dam 11 at Dubuque, Iowa. The facility has one 600-foot lock.

According to the Corps, the work will include demolition, construction of new downstream bulkhead slots and sill, dewatering lock chamber, concrete replacement, fabrication and installation of precast concrete panels with embedded armor, installation of lock bubbler system, removal and replacement of structural steel and steel armoring, structural steel cleaning and painting, removal and replacement of miter gate and tainter valve machinery, miter gate pintle inspection and repair, fabrication and installation of new miter gate strut arms, replacement of traveling kevel system, removal and replacement of electrical power distribution and control wiring and equipment systems and numerous other items.

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Another "Down" Year for Barges

The "Barge Fleet Profile", now in its 18th year, reports that the number of vessels in the U.S. Inland Barge Fleet has dropped more than 2,000 since it's historic high six years ago. During this past year, 510 new barges were added and 942 were retired.

The Profile, published by Informa Economics, is compiled through an annual survey of operators and from information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The report costs $100 and is available by contacting the firm at: http://www.bargefleet.com.

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  Guest Column

The Grand Excursion 2004

by Craig Nowack

The premier event of 2004 on the upper Mississippi River -- perhaps the entire river -- was the Grand Excursion. This event celebrated the 150th anniversary of the 1854 Grand Excursion, itself a celebration of the first railroad to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. A detailed account of the original Excursion, and the America that launched it, can be found in Steven J. Keillor's "Grand Excursion: Antebellum America Discovers The Upper Mississippi." William J. Petersen devotes a chapter of his "Steamboating on the Upper Mississippi" to it.

Given the enmity between steamboat men and the railroads, it's ironic that the 1854 Grand Excursion, primarily a river event, came in celebration of a railroad milestone (it would be just two years later that the first bridge crossed the Mississippi, much to the anger of the steamboat men, and a huge lawsuit erupted not long after when a steamboat struck that bridge). Another irony of the Grand Excursion was the huge amount of Easterners that participated despite it being a Midwestern event. Many of the financial backers of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad were from the East, and they were ones rewarded by the railroad's contractors with an all-expenses-paid trip to the river.

Excursionists, including former President Millard Fillmore, gathered in Chicago where two special trains took them to Rock Island, Illinois. There they boarded steamboats for a trip up to St. Paul, Minnesota, to see the Falls of St. Anthony. The event proved more popular than its creators envisioned; the only blight was an inadequate number of staterooms on board the steamboats that caused some to turn around and go back to Chicago.

The 2004 Grand Excursion captured the pomp and pageantry of the original while attempting to maximize the number of participants. Passengers could travel the entire route by steamboat on the Mississippi Queen or Delta Queen. More popular, however, were the port-to-port day cruises, or the lunch, dinner, and moonlight cruises. The Grand Excursion Bike Ride followed the river and was timed to allow the cyclists to enjoy the festivities in river towns along the way. A steam locomotive, the Milwaukee Road 261, pulled a trainload of historic railroad cars from Chicago to Rock Island, and then made its way upriver for the culminating celebration in the Twin Cities on the Fourth of July.

My family and I got a first-hand look at the festivities when the Grand Excursion arrived in Dubuque, Iowa, on Monday, June 28. The beautifully restored riverfront there was packed with people watching the boats, attending the concerts, tasting the food, and generally enjoying the river. The Mv. Loree Eckstein gave tours in Ice Harbor. We took a two-hour cruise on the Julia Belle Swain that evening, an event we almost missed because she had a run-in with a barge downriver earlier in the day and almost didn't arrive in time. The river was packed with pleasure boats and excursion boats; as we cruised the Harriet Bishop arrived in town.

Tuesday morning we awoke early so we could watch the boats continue their journey to the Twin Cities. The Delta Queen, we learned, left in the middle of the night, and the Mississippi Queen, prevented by high water from getting under a bridge down in Hannibal, still hadn't made it to Dubuque. A flock of people gathered at our vantage point above Dubuque, and the boats started coming early. Several acknowledged our enthusiasm with a blast of their whistles, and by noon, the celebration was upriver and it was a sleepy river once again. It certainly was a resounding success, and very gratifying to see the river in the spotlight.

The official Grand Excursion website (www.grandexcursion.com) put some numbers on that success: over one million attendees, nearly 40,000 tickets sold, and 500 television and radio stories reached 37 million people. Grand it was.

(Editor's note: Our thanks to Craig Nowack, whose pictures and story about the Grand Excursion arrived some time ago. Craig is a frequent contributor to our Boat Photo Center.)

See Grand Exursion pictures in the Photo Center!

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  Crossing The Bar

B&B reader Keith Norrington has passed along to us word that the mother of dedicated river watcher Judy Patsch, Rock Island, Ill., has died on March 15. Her mother had just celebrated her 89th birthday the previous week and in recent days had been staying in a Rock Island nursing home. Our condolences to Judy.

"The Waterways Journal" reports that M. I. Blaylock, 62, of Cascilla, Miss., an employee of the U.S. Engineers for 27 years, died February 23 of lung cancer. Mr. Blaylock worked primarily as a supervisor of the mat loading unit for the Vicksburg Engineer District. Following his retirement from the Corps, he worked for Canal Barge Company as chief engineer on the mv. River Oak.

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  Our Readers Write

I spoke to Riichiro (sic) Hirano, Deputy General Manager of Hitachi Transport System (America), Ltd. concerning their use of the Missouri River for transportation and the value of this alternative mode to the construction of the new 795 mega watt power station for Mid American Energy at Council Bluffs, IA. (River Mile 606). I asked Riichiro the following questions:

Without Missouri River navigation how much more would the contract be for construction?

Without Missouri River navigation how much more time would it have taken to complete the work?

What is the total product value of the items transported to date and the future?

Riichiro stated that it would have been impossible to build a 795 MW station in Council Bluffs without the Missouri River. The key was the delivery of the Generator Stator and the main Transformer. He stated the these items could not be built in smaller pieces and delivered to the site for fabrication. They had to be factory constructed in Japan and delivered in tact. Their company therefore did not look at a construction price using a competing mode of transportation.

Riichiro went on to say that without the Missouri River, only a 550 - 600 MW power station could have been built.

Riichiro also shared that the value of the cargoes that were and will be shipped on the Missouri River is just over $100 million.

The Generator Stator and the Transformer are the heaviest individual items at 412 and 363 tons respectively. All of the tonnage related to this project for the 40-50 barges is not all that high. Maybe 10,000 tons. However the value of the cargo is high and the Missouri River made it possible to add 195 - 245 MW of addition capacity of thermal power to the lower basin adding electrical stability for years to come in the region.

I made a few additional calls and asked a regional energy marketing trader what the value of 200 MW would be in the lower basin. The average value would be $60 million per year.

John LaRandeau
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(Editor's note: I want to thank John for permission to use his material as we have. We visited by phone on March 18, and it turns out that a concern we both share is that not enough is known about the true value of navigation. As an example, he cited a recent lock closure on the Ohio that resulted in companies shutting down and jobs being put at risk because they could not receive much-needed products. When water transport is seriously disrupted, the shock waves spread dramatically and the "pain" is widespread. We just have not done a good enough job tracking down the total impact. Knowledge of actual losses incurred due to delays could be instrumental in convincing Congress that the water transportation infrastructure surely needs attention--and now!)

I am really enjoying this newsletter.

Ron Richardson

I like this web site. Good photos and info.

Fred Seckendorf

Okay, you fellers have hinted around enough. Here is a picture of the Pamela D. Ashland Oil usually operated this boat primarily between Catlettsburg and Owensboro, Ky., with side trips to Memphis, Tenn., and Pittsburgh, Pa.

G&C Towing, Inc., Point Pleasant, W. Va., ended up with the boat and it just plumb wore out. They tried to sell it as a landing boat at the end and then just finally dismantled it in 1991. Think somebody told me it is a derrickboat hull on the Kanawha River now.

This photo taken by me on April 15, 1964, when she was upbound below Greenup, Ky., when owned by Cavalier Towing Co., Memphis.

Dan Owen

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  Boat Photo Center

Last week we ran a picture of a burning vessel, aptly dubbed "Mystery Boat", and asked if anyone could identify it.

Here are the results:

Fred Seckendorf forwarded an email from "Jimmy", who wrote: "This looks like one of Lumar Marine's boats, such as the Tako Tiko, Tako Bandit, Taco Belle, etc."

(Editor's note: He was almost right.)

Later Seckendorf told us that he was informed by a Tako Towing employee that the name of last week's mystery boat was the Tako Terror.

(Editor's note: Well, He could be right, but he may not be right. Read on!)

Dan Dennis of Slidell, La., has identified the boat as the Tako Bandit, which is correct, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's Port State Information Exchange.

Dan Owen, who posted the Mystery Boat from his Boat Photo Museum, said he was able to [match] the boat name (sent in by Dan Dennis) to an accident report of December 6, 1999, at New Orleans. The report was on the Coast Guard's Port State Information Exchange. Dan O. has identical photos of the boat before and after the fire, and nothing at all was changed constructionwise. (While we will not reproduce it here, Dan O. sent in the entire vessel information report to confirm it.)

(Editor's note: Could it be that someone along the way was mistaken?)

In this week's Photo Center we have boats, a hot air balloon/river scene, and a Milwaukee Road engine, all from Craig Nowack and all taken in connection with the Grand Excursion on the Mississippi River last year. They include: the Anson Northrup, Celebration Belle, Harriet Bishop, Julia Belle Swain, Loree Eckstein, Milwaukee Road 261, Mississippi Queen, Spirit of Peoria, and a cluster of three steamboats.

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  Welcome To Our Site Ring

Site Name: The Marine Firefighting Institute
URL: http://www.marinefirefighting.com
Owner: Tom Guldner
Description: Inland waterway Marine Firefighting seminars and consulting for the mariner and the land-based firefighter.

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  Book Beat

The two books I am featuring this week are sometimes felt by casual readers to be too rich for their blood. No offense intended. But unless you are a serious historian and/or have a library of serious river books that you intend to keep and maintain, you may just issue a pass. On the other hand, I have no doubt each would supply many, many hours of enjoyable and informative reading.

The books are "Road To The Sea", The Story of James B. Eads and the Mississippi River, by Florence Dorsey (which focuses on historic construction of Eads Bridge at St. Louis and much more) and "Father Mississippi", by Lyle Saxon (it is the story of the Great Flood of 1927).

Both are soft cover.

"Father Mississippi" was first published in 1927 and has been brought back to life by Firebird Press and Pelican Publishing Co. Inc. via a "print as needed" method that, in this case, makes the book a little more expensive.

Nevertheless, it is an important book and, when understood as a whole, helps one to understand why President Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated fund raising efforts to help flood victims and why, ultimately, flood control became one of the most vital responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Many who lack an understanding of the Corps' role fail to recognize how destructive floods were (and sometimes still are) before the construction of the main stem reservoirs on the upper Missouri River and dikes and levees on the Lower. Managing the rivers is not as simple today as it was back when overseers recognized a serious problem and moved to solve it. Today's demands on the river water have complicated the issues.

Nevertheless, "Father Mississippi" lays a foundation for understanding and recognition of the efforts directed at managing our river systems.

This book, with 427 pages and more than 60 illustrations, originally sold for $30. A little rich but not bad considering the quality of its content. I have reduced the price to $25 plus S&H on my web site. I have but three of these books left in stock. As an added bonus, I throw in a free DVD, "At The Water's Edge", a presentation about the 1999 Tall Stacks event at Cincinnati. It is a $5.00 value. This book can be purchased on my web site or by phone. See phone numbers below. (See special price below if you buy both books.)

Author Lyle Saxon wrote about "Father Mississippi":

"This book is not a history of the Mississippi River in the strict sense of the word, although I have outlined the discovery, the exploration, and the settlement of the valley. A great many learned men have written weighty tomes dealing with the various phases of the Mississippi, but this volume is like a scrap-book in which I have collected men's thoughts, my own thoughts, and the thoughts and experiences of other men. Those incidents seem to me informative, or amusing, or terrible, or tragic, or fantastic, but they are all a part of the living pageant which moved down the river through the changing years."

The book contains a number of accounts of those who lived near and made their living on the Mississippi River, and documents the first ripple in a wave of tremendous changes that took place throughout the course of this great river. Over seventy years later, "Father Mississippi" still stands as an important history of the flood most often remembered for its far-reaching impact on the cities along the Mississippi River and the devastation it caused to towns in the southern Mississippi River valley. This pivotal event led to the national, flood-control plant for the entire basin drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries.

"Road To The Sea" is the higher priced of the two books. Importantly, it contains a major section of author's notes citing sources for material used therein and a condensed bibliography, both of vital importance to serious historians. It is, however, not illustrated.

This book, too, has been brought back to life by Firebird Press and Pelican Publishing Co., mainly because of the importance of the contents. As most readers know, Eads was not just noted for his building of Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Louis. He was involved in recommending and building the first iron-clad gunboats and later the monitors. His work on the Lower Mississippi and projects related to making the big river navigable is historic. And then there was the ship-railway. All of these activities are covered.

Author Florence Dorsey writes about "Road To The Sea":

"This biography is compiled from the voluminous writings and utterances of James B. Eads, from government documents relating to his projects and the many controversies over them, from county and national records, magazine and newspaper accounts of this professional and social activities, books by many authors concerning his work and his times, and from information supplied by members or connections of his family."

Again, it is a book for historians and those seriously interested in river history. Like "Father Mississippi", it is not one the reader will want to give away once read.

This 340-page book has been released at a price of $40 by the publishers. I have reduced the price on my web site to $33, and, if purchased alone will give a free DVD of "At The Water's Edge" and the Missouri River book, "Grab a Bush." -- totaling $11.50 in free material. This purchase can be made only via phone because I have just two copies left.

If you choose to buy both books, I will reduce the combined price from $58 to $53 dollars plus $5 shipping and handling. Only one DVD and copy of "Grab a Bush" will be included in this case. To get the extra $5 discount, you must buy the two books via Visa or MasterCard by calling 314/921-4419. I do not suggest buying by check and mail, since my supply will most likely be gone before a check arrives.

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  Tow Talkin'

March 21, 2005

By Kathy Flippo

Yup, it is spring. Saturday I could see the little ARTCO harbor tug Mv. Saratoga working in Beaver Slough from my office window. Flowers are blooming, maples are ready to burst, and they have had heavy snow in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This past week I've logged in ARTCO's Cooperative Ambassador who was dropping MTs in front of the Francescon Farm on Beaver Island. She picked up a string of loads from the Murray Island Fleet afterwards and headed south.

ARTCO's Mv. New Dawn picked up another batch of loads from Murray Island three days later. The Municipal Dock here in Clinton and the Agra/Bunge Dock in Fulton, Illinois, are working like crazy loading grains and unloading fertilizer.

Also saw Marquette Transportation's Mv. David L. Fields lock up #13. Just in and out because her five barges and the boat all fit in the lock chamber at once. I know she came up with six barges because...if you wish to continue reading this column, click here.


See you on the Web,


Jack
Little River Books
jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com
Don't forget to visit our website!