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May 9, 2005 -- Vol. 5 Issue 19 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to The Waterways Journal.
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 In This Newsletter:
Quote of the Week
There is a much used and often misquoted line that indicates “to forget history is to risk reliving it.” Sometimes we forget that history is what happened even yesterday or just a few weeks, months or years ago. See if it applies to my personal note below. A Personal Note From Jack
 A major story on May 6 was the announcement (especially in Knight Ridder Newspapers) that the Bush Administration had lifted the development ban on roadless forest areas. The Administration ended the four-year-old ban on May 5. This announcement was considered, undoubtedly, as a victory for people who felt the restrictions were too strong. It was regarded by environmentalist as a step backward. But to the point. Ask yourself how the ban came to be in the first place. Lest we forget, there is a great power struggle in the U.S. The major political parties are really more about who will run the country, which means who will control how money is spent, and who will get the money when it is spent. If you really believe government is genuinely looking out for the folks, you’d better reevaluate. Neither party will approve willingly any proposal that might damage their chances of regaining control no matter how much it helps the folks, as O’Reilly calls us. Some benefits may be passed along, just so long as they do not represent a threat to the party in control. But to the issue. The issue of banning development in roadless forests was a hammer and tong battle before Bush was first elected. The bans were authorized by the Clinton Administration in its waning days. That can mean one of two things. With Clinton on the way out, everyone turned to jelly fish and voted to give Clinton his way about banning forest development. Highly unlikely. The more likely scenario is that Clinton accomplished the ban via Executive Order (XO), which means that if no one objected and voided the XOs within a prescribed number of days, they became law. Readers will remember that Clinton passed a great many such orders in his waning days in office. Many involved pardons - many of which caused considerable concern. But the ban on forest development sneaked through and was not challenged. So worrisome were his Executive Orders that one representative tried to sue Clinton for abusing the XO privilege. Clinton may have accomplished things that his political opponents did not like, but it was legal, and both parties do it. After struggling hard without success to pass certain proposals that appeal to them, presidents ultimately and often resort to accomplishing the same end via Executive Orders. Having said that, there is a reason why Clinton could not pass such a ban. Perhaps it is redundant to say that he had opposition. But he did. There was sufficient opposition to some of his proposals that they could not have been moved through Congress. All of this leads us to the next step. Remember the Los Alamos forest fires? They occurred because the forests were not maintained properly. The government under Clinton had spent more money acquiring more lands for the Park Service to tend but gave them no money to tend it. To tend forests, you need roads in them. Remember the kangaroo rats in California and the fires that destroyed homes because owners were not allowed to clear brush in the forest around their homes? The maintenance that would have save those homes was not allowed, all due to environmental restrictions passed by enviros who put critters on the list above human beings. The question of how to maintain forests properly and to get the most benefit from them is one which environmentalists and those of us who are not environmentalists argue about all the time. Even former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall said publicly that environmentalists abused environmental law by suing lumbering businesses to keep them from harvesting old growth trees, a move they claimed would destroy the spotted owl. As it turned out, the owl lived all over the west and did not need old growth forests. Only last week I visited with a California friend who had been involved in such squabbles. He said the owls even nested in old wagons and truck boxes. So much for environmental purity. It is our understanding that to keep a forest fire from spreading, the forests should be cleared of much of the ground cover. Under the law before the ban was lifted, much of that maintenance-type work could not be accomplished. Members of the Forest Service complained all the time about having no money for proper maintenance. Some 3,500 homes were destroyed in California in recent years due to poor forest maintenance, and, no doubt, to building homes where homes really should not be built. And some of the people who build them where they should not be are avid environmentalists, right? So what we are seeing [with the removal of the ban] is that the pendulum has now swung back in the other direction, and the Bush Administration will no doubt start working to get some forest maintenance done. We have no list of what he will do. When Mt. St. Helen’s erupted, millions of trees, representing multi-millions of board feet of good lumber, fell in the wake of the winds. Environmentalists prevented the harvesting of the trees, so they just laid out on the ground, rotted and became no good to anyone but the termites and other small critters that feed on rotting vegetation. We doubt, though this is pure speculation, that even a few humans benefited greatly from leaving those trees to rot. Further, it most likely just pushed lumbering companies toward other sources. So the lifting of the ban may not be a step backward at all. It is just that the GOP and Dems (plus environmentalists) see things differently. And they fight tooth and nail to get their way. That is what American politics is all about. Control! Newsletter News
We cannot over emphasize how important it is for B&B readers to keep telling friends and acquaintances about our www.littleriverbooks.com and our free newsletter, “Bitts & Bytes.” While I will not reveal the writer’s name, because I did not ask permission, I want to point out that a waterway association reader asked that his association be included among our “River Links.” Pleasing was his comment, “I did not realize how much you have to offer to waterway enthusiasts and those who work in our industry!” The writer was steered to our site by a longtime B&B subscriber and friend of Little River Books. That is how we grow. Little Bit by Little Bitt by LITTLE BITTT! More under website news. 
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. Web Site News
We have just welcomed the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways Association to our “River Links” section on the web site and ask that you take time to visit the association there. Advertising
Your classified ad can go in this space for $10 for one week, $20 for two weeks, $25 for three weeks, and $30 for four weeks. For details click here. On The Waterfront
News Flash: Unmanned Boat Goes Over Lock On Allegheny River (update) Thanks to Donald C. Strimbeck, secretary of the Upper Monongahela River Association, Inc., Granville, W.Va., we have the story from the “Pittsburgh Post-Gazette” telling about a 30-foot long recreational boat breaking loose from its moorings and washing over Locks and Dam 4 on the Allegheny River in the Natrona area of Harrison at about 12:30 a.m. on May 2. The “Post” got its information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The boat had been tied up at a yacht club, according to a Coast Guard spokesman, and was unmanned when the incident occurred. The Coast Guard spokesman said the agency did not have the name of the boat. They had been notified by local police. (Editor’s note: If you care to learn more about the association Don serves, visit its site, www.uppermon.org.) Matthew B Sinks Near Eastern End Of Galveston Island Houston KLTV’s web site reported Monday (today) that the Matthew B sank Sunday afternoon during a thunderstorm that dropped as much as five inches of rain in the area. All four crew aboard were able to jump to the barge in time to be rescued. The report said some drivers had to be rescued from their automobiles and golf-ball sized hail fell on parts of Texas City. Winds were gusting to 65 mph. Power was temporarily out for about 200,000 Centerpoint Energy customers. Most power is expected to be restored by the end of today. Ste. Genevieve Firm Pleads Guilty To Discharging Pollutants The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported on May 9 that Southern Illinois Transfer Co. of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Mo., on May 6 to one misdemeanor count of illegally dumping pollutants into the Mississippi River. According to the “Post” report, the company admitted that in June 2001 it pumped water containing the pollutant petroleum coke from a barge into the river. As a result of the violation, the company will pay $5,000 into the Missouri Conservation Heritage Fund. The firm faces a fine of up to $200,000. Kentucky Derby And Great Steamboat Race May Have Surprised A Few Fans With the 72-1 shot Giacomo outdistancing the field to take home the bacon in the Kentucky Derby Saturday, boat watchers might have known that something was not going quite as expected. Later they learned that the Delta Queen, one of three vessels, scheduled to participate in the Great Steamboat Race at Cincinnati, was held up by high water and did not arrive. Was there a full moon? The rest is all gobbledygook. Boat captains and connivers being what they are, one has to believe his own eyes when the votes are all in. And then it is like the last presidential election in Florida. You just have to take their word for it. A report in “The Waterways Journal” today confirmed that the Belle of Louisville once again secured its winnings, despite crossing the finish line after the Belle of Cincinnati. In typical post-race fashion, Alan Bernstein, owner of B&B Riverboats and the Belle of Cincinnati, charged that running for mayor of Louisville may be the only way to secure the coveted golden antlers. Moaning in the true fashion of a man whose boat crossed the finish line first but who didn’t get the prize, he said “Hypocrisy in the race is all part of a broad cover-up.” He opined that Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson is already shaking in his boots. (Does Abramson wear boots?) And so ends another chapter in the race that has entertained thousands (perhaps millions over the years) the good old fashioned slapstick comedy style. Bernstein and Abramson will most likely meet in some smoke-filled back room 11 months from now to plan the finish of the next challenge. Maybe even the DQ will make it. (Editor’s note: The authenticity of steamboat race results (ask Bernstein) is about as dependable as decisions in professional wrestling matches and just as colorful.) Mv. Jill P. Harvey Christened At Greenville Bill Johnson of the “Delta Democrat Times” reports that the Mv. Jill P. Harvey was christened on May 3, 2005, on the Greenville, Miss., waterfront. It is, he said, the first of many planned vessels by Flowers Marine Transportation, Inc. On hand were officials from Flowers and from Florida Marine Transportation and other partners in the maritime community, Johnson wrote. The Harvey measures 103 by 32 feet and has 3,200 hp. Jill P. Harvey christened the vessel. She has worked for Flowers for more than 30 years. Tears running down her face, she expressed her appreciation for the honor bestowed upon her. She began working for the company in 1972 as a legal secretary and now is a board member and works in day-to-day operations as an administrator, Johnson reported. Dennis Pasentine, owner of Florida Marine Transportation and the towboat Jill P. Harvey, said the boat is the first of 26 vessels that will be christened as times goes forward. Pasentine said the company had built the largest fleet of double-hulled vessels and plans to have the largest fleet of towboats to match. The Harvey was constructed by Cody Marine Services in Harvey, La., and delivered in November 2004. She has been active in moving liquid petroleum products on the inland waterways since that time. Houma Tugboat Captain Convicted Of Second-Degree Murder The Associated Press has reported from Napoleonville, La., that on May 4 an Assumption Parish jury found Capt. Louis Ledet, 42, Houma, guilty of second-degree murder in the pistol slaying of Ryan Andras, his deckhand. The murder took place after a disagreement in the pilothouse turned violent. The incident took place in June 2003 aboard the Captain EJ in the Gulf Intracoastal waterway, when Andras entered the pilothouse and tried to play with a gun Capt. Ledet had brought to the pilothouse. According to testimony, Ledet refused to let Andras touch the gun and became angry when the two began horseplaying. He held the gun to Andras’s head and said, according to deckhand Alvin Dardar, “I am going to make you see God.” Then, as the testimony goes, he fired the weapon. A forensic Pathologist testified to seeing a muzzle imprint on Andras’s head. When asked later what he meant, he said he intended to kill him. Testimony was also presented that Ledet had brought a large amount of cocaine aboard and threatened to kill Andras if he took any of it. Ledet told the jurors that he had used cocaine the morning Andras was shot, the AP reported. Capt. Ledet faces a mandatory life sentence, but no sentencing date has been set. After the one-day trial, the jury deliberated only 30 minutes. (Editor’s note: The above story was reported by several news sources.) advertisement
The River School - Deck and engineer licenses, radar observer, tankerman, fire and water safety courses, video programs. Travel classes in convenient locations. (800) 238-7113 www.riverschool.com Our Readers Write
From a faithful reader and friend of a friend we have learned that Virginia Bennett, longtime “Waterways Journal” correspondent and faithful supporter of Ohio River mariners, is recuperating from surgery at St. Luke Hospital in Ft. Thomas, Ky. Our reader, J. Rice, tells us that Virginia, known by many as their “Harbor Mother”, is in great spirits (as always) but will be there a few days. “I’m sure she would appreciate prayers and maybe cards from her river friends,” he writes. Cards can be mailed to: Miss Virginia Bennett c/o St. Luke Hospital Room 4618 85 Grand Ave. Ft. Thomas, KY 41075 Her room phone # is 859 442-2953 By the way Virginia's birthday is May 16 (Year-never mind!). Thanks, JR (Editor’s note: Virginia and I have swapped notes and river tales for nearly 30 years, mostly when I was still active as editor of the WJ. She is a grand lady of the river, and I am never more happy than when I can help direct some words of encouragement and congratulations to someone like her. From her apartment in Harbor House in Covington, Ky., she used to signal the passing boats and they responded in kind. Often it was she who had to respond, because many of them made it a practice of letting Virginia know they were in the neighborhood.) Crossing The Bar
We learned from the May edition of “Cromwell’s Nose”, a limited circulation column by author Kathy Flippo, who also is author of “Tow Talkin’, that Capt. Jim Cheatham, 63, of New Madrid, Mo., died unexpectedly on May 3 at his home. His son, Capt. Jim Cheatham, is an ARTCO pilot. Boat Photo Center
 There are lots of good pictures running this week in the Photo Center, including: two of the Dan W. Wise and one of the J. N. Philips by Hugh Davis; the Henry B, Legend and Lillie Gail by Jeffrey L. Yates; two each of the Sewickley, Shirley and Wild Goose by Dan Owen and the Boat Photo Center; and four interesting view of the Walter E. Blessey, Jr., by Jim Mihalek.
In the near future we will run a full picture of the St Helier II and hopefully a little more information from our contact in France, David Edward-May. Advertisement
I have a 35 mm Nikon F2 in mint condition and lots of other goodies for a combined price of $750. The only lens is a 52 mm Nikormat macro (and extender ring) that allows for shooting relatively normal pictures (no telephoto zoom or wide angle) that allows focusing down to about 2 inches. Other accessories include horsehide camera bag (large boxy type), and various extras too numerous to describe. I will not break up the package. Anyone interested can contact me by calling 314/921-4419 and ask for Jack, or via email at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. Book Beat
 “North American Inland Waterways Map & Index” Being Shipped
We want to remind those who may be interested that the above named book, advertised in at least two of our last issues, is now on hand and is being shipped to customers. Though it took 20 days from France, they arrived in fine shape. See B&B of 4/25 and 5/2 for details. For Professional Mariners, Et al.  Some of our new readers may not know that we carry a wide variety of professional river books, dealing, as it were, with everything from radar to The Rules of the Road. However among the books that are most popular, we can list the following. By checking out their links you can find out just what kind of information these books provide. If you operate commercially on the river, you may need several of these books. River watchers can get a lot of use out of the first two.
Click on any title for more info: “Inland River Guide” by “The Waterways Journal” “Inland River Record” by “The Waterways Journal” “Quimby’s Cruising Guide” by “The Waterways Journal” “Mariner’s Guide to the Inland and International Rules” by Capt. Mark Tilford and Cdr. William D. Kline (both USCG-Ret.) “The River Radar Manual” by Cdr. William D. Kline (USCG-Ret.) “Towboat Fire Safety” by S. M. Thompson and William D. Kline (USCG-Ret.) “Tank Barge Fire Safety” by Steve Thompson (USCG-Ret.) “Regulations Handbook: U.S. Coast Guard Regulations for Uninspected Towing Vessels” by Michael W. Rushing, Todd M. Rushing and Frederik A. Nyhuis, Jr. “Regulations Handbook: U.S. Coast Guard Regulations for Liquid Cargo Operations” by Frederik A. Nyhuis, Jr., Michael W. Rushing, and Todd M. Rushing. Tow Talkin'
May 9, 2005 By Kathy Flippo Commercial Barge Lines, Inc., had a good thing going towing automobiles and trucks on the river. But, my dear husband Pat said, "Why didn't you tell me your were writing about Commercial Barge Lines?" Well, duh, he's a man, and as with all men he has selective hearing. He thought of something else about this barge line since last week and here it is. He doesn't remember when, or which of the six boats that had the barge in tow, but one of the loaded barges sank either at Rosiclaire or Golconda, Illinois.  Or as Pat says, "I think it was Golconda, but it might have been at Rosiclaire. I'm pretty sure it was Golconda, now that I think about it."
It's not good when any barge goes down whether it is coal, grain, or whatever, but can you imagine CARS? It is not only the mess it creates and the tremendous amount of work…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! |
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