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July 25, 2005 -- Vol. 5 Issue 30 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:
Headline Errors
"Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge" A Personal Note From Jack
 It is ironic that St. Louis is a city that keeps stumbling around trying to attract the world to its doorstep. Having worked downtown for 22 years, I can tell you from experience that it is not a nice place to be after 5 p.m. Consequently, once commuters leave for home on Metro Link, cars and buses, and once the streets begin to fill up with homeless people from the nearby shelters, it is virtually deserted.
I was once walking right down the heart of town on Olive Street during the rush hour and was attacked by a street person who wanted to panhandle. As I shifted to the right as he approached on the sidewalk, he lashed out with his foot and kicked my ankle. I have nothing against St. Louis. It does have some nice tourist spots to visit. There are the Arch, the Art Museum, Planetarium, Zoo, any number of places that attract tourists. And tourists do come. But the problem is that the downtown area of St. Louis is not exactly a friendly, attractive place…and where does one go if he does go there after working hours? The city also needs jobs. Aha, there’s a dandy! When the U.S. House recently passed overwhelming the Water Resource Development Act 2005, the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" did its usual number and blasted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fact is, St. Louis, while technically being a rivertown, is NOT a rivertown. Despite the fact that it was founded as the Gateway to the Westward Movement back when railroads had progressed no further than St. Louis and wagon trains were in vogue. The city seems to cherish no memories of the past. That is unusual, since there was a time when one could walk a mile or more down the riverfront from steamboat to steamboat without stepping on the cobblestones at the riverbank. We can’t produce figures, but it would be a safe guess to say that at one time most of St. Louis businesses and people depended on river-related businesses for their livelihood. I think the citizenry of St. Louis and the region would welcome as a fresh breath of air some riverfront development that would put some signs of the old days there. But very little has happened over the decades, and the city’s port commission, if you can call it that, really hasn’t got an energetic river promoter on it. We brought up the "Post" because it has constantly fought against the Corps. It has bought the message from environmentalists that only beautification and parks and bike trails, etc., are suitable for the riverbanks along navigable waterways. The "Post" is disturbed because the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway modernization and maintenance programs are being passed. Yet around 50 percent of the project cost involve ecosystem restoration. These folks are downright greedy. The $8 plus billion passed for restoration of the Everglades in Florida doesn’t bother the "Post" one bit. There is taking place right now a sort of rebirth in the river industry. Cargo is picking up, and towing companies are struggling to find crews to keep their towboats moving. We do not suggest growing cargo totals are the whole reason. Changes in licensing rules for towboat crews has something to do with it as well. It is predicted that there will continue to be a shortage of Coast Guard-licensed boat personnel for some time. Other modes are suffering the same problem. The Associated Press reported recently that trucking companies are hiring Hispanics to fill their decimated ranks. A year or two ago railroads were in trouble as they saw too many employees accept their golden parachute offer and retire. Airlines have their own problems on the way. Air traffic controllers who were hired to replace strikers during the Reagan Administration are getting up to retirement age. What is relatively new on the riverfront scene is the interest in container-on-barge operations. Several factors are important. For several reasons, less grain is moving to tidewater by barge. Corn is being used in the Midwest for ethanol. Some farmers have switched to other crops and are moving them to the Pacific Northwest by rail. Players in the foreign market place could impact southward barge traffic moving agricultural products, too, but we can’t actually pin down how big that impact is. All we know is that South America is striving to get at our customers overseas. However, barges that move south also can move products north into the hinterlands if backhauls are available. Container-on-barge service is made just for this situation. Millions of tons of containerized products arrive at our shores. How do they get to their heartland destination? Naturally, by rail and truck. But companies are now finding that shippers can save big money by moving those containers upriver to waiting terminals, where they can then be transloaded to truck or rail for the final leg of their journey. Virtually any port in the country can get involved as long as they have factories or manufacturing plants within a reasonable distance that now receive containers from the Gulf by truck or rail. In some cases businesses would like to receive containerized shipments but can’t afford the freight. Finding out that they can manage it by using barges is good news to them. The cost of operating container-handling equipment can be kept manageable and allowed to grow as business grows. And this type of development is open to virtually any city on the riverbank. St. Louis could benefit from such operations, too, it the editors and owners of the "Post" would get their heads out of the sand and look to the potential instead of trying to beat the Corps and towing industry to death. The so-called port commission could get active for a change and look into the prospects. These are not operations that belong near the Arch, of course. They can be miles up or down river. But the goal is the same. And they can bring good paying jobs to the city. We are constantly complaining about outsourced work and imported workers. Well, you can’t outsource river terminal work. St. Louis spends its time trying to schedule events that will bring big crowds. What it needs is an overhaul of the downtown area that will make the area inviting for workers to hang around a little longer after work, and to return on occasion to do things other than work. But how many times does one need to visit the Arch? How many times does one need to see what is presently located downtown? Most of us do if we have out-of-town guests. The "Post-Dispatch" has battered the Corps to the extent that it has repeated untruths and bad information for years — decades. It’s time for a change. The city hasn’t been a bustling city for a long time. With attitudes like those expressed by the "Post" writers and the port commission, it will be a long, long time before the downtown area rises up like phoenix. Perhaps, as the legend goes, St. Louis will rise from the ashes again in 500 years. Newsletter News
Slowly but steadily we are creeping toward 800 B&B subscriptions. Can’t wait till we hit 1,000. I probably should have asked a long time ago for suggestions as to how we can improve our letter, and I do welcome them. Unfortunately, I cannot respond to most suggestions due to time limitations, and behind our inability to adopt some ideas are program restrictions over which we have no control. But good ideas are really welcome. Web Site News
In the meantime, we do have lots on our web site that should keep visitors busy. The Boat Photo Center is growing steadily at from 10 to 15 pictures a week. Visitor comments indicate the Center is popular. Obviously, we welcome additional photographers as contributors, but we have a steady flow of pictures coming in. We welcome contributions to our river recipe section. We have cleaned up the free classified section to weed out old ads, but that is always an option for people who want to try it. The message board continues to be active.  Portal To The Waterways
Though it is not obvious to readers, we want to welcome and thank those sponsors of Portal to the Waterways, who help us keep up our web site and promote water resource development and the towing industry. Renewals include the National Waterways Conference, Inc., MARC 2000 and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. Since this is a one-horse operation (plus web master) I still have people to contact for renewals. Nevertheless, I invite B&B readers to visit our www.littleriverbooks.com site and click on Portal in the index bar. Then pay a visit to the sites of these fine sponsors. It is due to them and other waterway leaders that the Water Resources Development Act 2005 received such a lopsided approval in the House recently (406-14) and that treatment of the bill in the Senate is expected to be favorable. The Senate recently passed appropriations for the Corps that were far above those passed by the House and requested by President Bush. But it’s time to get our water transportation system back in shape, and I think people in a position to make it happen are beginning to realize that. For those individuals interested, note that by visiting the Portal site, you can learn about how you can be a supporter to Portals with a one-time donation that will put your name on the Honor Roll and get you a membership card. We invite you to do so.
For Those Inclined To Pray
 We have modified the steps for joining our Prayer Circle. If you visit the Prayer Circle link on at www.littleriverbooks.com, you will find that those who sign up are completely anonymous. We do not ask for first names nor states of residence. Joining is as simple as providing an email address to which we can send future prayer requests. Each prayer request list includes a link for including requests.
By joining our Prayer Circle, you can tap into the prayerful support of circle members wherever they are. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. 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
June Rains Help Extend 2005 Towing Season On Missouri River The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that rain, late-season snow and drought conservation has taken some of the sting out of the six-year drought on the Missouri River. The forecast of total 2005 runoff has improved to 19.9 million acre feet (maf), 79 percent of normal. The forecast was in the 16 maf range. The three large reservoirs in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota continued to rise in June, though they are still below normal. The Corps has decided to shorten the 2005 navigation by 48 days rather than 61. Homeland Security Stops Cruise Boats Cold In St. Paul The Associated Press reports that the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen (which the AP describes as paddle boats) plus other luxury vessels won’t be able to dock at Lambert’s Landing in St. Paul until the Coast Guard approves a security plan for St. Paul’s waterfront. City officials have been working more than a year to meet Coast Guard requirements. Bottom line? Lots of complaints. Lots of unhappy people. Passengers are being disembarked at Red Wing, Minn., and bussed to St. Paul, to end their cruise and head for home, while others (up to 400 at a time) are bussed to Red Wing from St. Paul to board the cruise boats. Stay tuned! Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Hearing Over Know what? Now we can wait for several months for the conclusions. The Coast Guard has ended a five-week hearing into the January 19 barge explosion on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The explosion killed one crewman. After hearing testimony from 30 witnesses, the Coast Guard plans to draft a report within a few months to tell us what they believe caused the explosion, which occurred near 40th Street and Cicero Avenue in Chicago. Hearing officers said one possible cause is the propane torch being used by Alex Oliva, 29, to heat oil lines. Oliva was killed. The barge sank and was raised in April. Oliva’s body was found later in the canal. Crossing The Bar
As reported in "The Waterways Journal." Capt. J. B. Terrell, 76, died July 6 of heart failure at his home in Slidell, La. Capt. Thomas Cramer, 92, died July 2 at his home in Williamstown, W.Va. Robert R. "Bob" Skaggs, 73, owner of Skaggs Marine Service in Wickliffe, Ky., died July 7 at a Paducah hospital. 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 Recipe Box
If you are a towboat cook, home chef, backyard barbecuer, tailgater, or know anybody who is, please pass the word along to submit recipes! BROILED SALMON FILLET My salmon recipe has some variables where you can substitute whatever is more tasteful or convenient for you. 1 salmon fillet - 3/4 to 1-1/2 lbs. Preheat oven for broiling 2-3 minutes. Place in dish or pan with the skin up after washing and checking for scales. Put 3 tablespoons Italian salad dressing with garlic bits around side. Place one sliced medium onion and one half sliced bell pepper on top. Add two tablespoons of olive oil or margarine on top. Broil for seven minutes on the skin side up. Pull out and turn over. Baste and add one cup of orange juice. Season well with Chachere's Cajon Seasoning or the seasoning of your choice, like lemon pepper or lite garlic powder. Place back under broiler about 8-10 inches for seven to nine minutes depending on degree of well-doneness you want. Take out for lip-smacking good taste. Sauce is excellent over white rice, with the cooked onions. Submitted by Byron Rozier Millington, Tenn. Boat Photo Center
 I received a welcome phone call from Jim Currens of the Clinton, Iowa, area last week. Jim likes photography and believes he may have some good boat pictures to share with us. In fact we received a "shipment" of digitalized pictures via email already. Obviously, the more photographers we have sharing their work, the greater variety of pictures we will be able to post in the Photo Center. Jim had been hoping to photograph the Erna E. Honeycutt, which has just been put back into service by Ingram Barge Company after major repowering and refurbishing. He missed it. Ironically, the July 18 issue of "The Waterways Journal" featured the boat’s christening and pictures. How’s that for luck?
We have another nice group of pictures for your perusal this week, and among the pleasant surprises are some more photographs from Hape Kraus of Oberhausen, Germany. This week’s contributions include the Ardyce Randall, Bob Stith, Celebration Belle, Cleva Lee, the Newt Marine fleet, Sierra Dawn, Spirit of Dubuque and the Twilight from Craig Nowack; The Creole Sun from Thomas Waller; the Marty Baskerville from Ed Rahe; three pictures of the Lehnkering 20, the Herkules VII and Herkules XVI from Kraus. 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
For some reason sudden large book sales have depleted my stock and I have had to order books from several publishing companies. Please remember this if you order in the next few days and your order seems to be slow in coming. The main reason is that one customer bought books to be given as gifts for more than half a hundred people, and many books on my shelves virtually vanished. Just be patient with us. The books are on the way. DVD Special  This week I want to point out how you can help your neighborhood river museum. I have a wholesale offer that is soon to come to an end. The At The Water’s Edge DVDs about the Tall Stacks event in Cincinnati in 1999 are available wholesale for these institutions, and they can make several hundred percent on their money. I am closing them out.
But the sales offer is for a case of 100 DVDs for $1 per unit, or $100 plus S&H per case. Several dealers I sell to are selling them for $5 and $7.50 each, so it is a good way for a museum to boost its income. Even if they are sold at just a few dollars, $3 maybe, they can make 200 percent interest on the investment. If you have a favorite river museum and want to support it, you can buy a case and give them to themuseum. I have sufficient for six or seven sales. If you run into anyone interested, have them send me an email at jrsiminc@earthlink.net and I will get back to them. We also have VHS videos of the same 28-minute presentation for $45 plus S&H for a 45-unit case. But they must go by the case. Nautical Gift Shop
Steamboat Clock & Barometer - The hinged porthole-style case is solid brass with a lacquered antique finish. It has quartz movement for convenience and accuracy and runs on one AA battery. The matching Steamboat Barometer has visible aneroid barometer movement, and the antique brass case is hinged so that the movement is accessible from the front.280522 Steamboat Quartz Clock $136.49 280722 Steamboat Barometer $146.99 Tow Talkin'
July 25, 2005 By Kathy Flippo Summertime and the living ain’t easy, especially on a towboat. This is the time when the boat gets painted on the outside. That means chipping off the old paint, priming it, giving it the coat of sparkling white and then doing all the trim work. This, of course, is done in "spare time" between locks, bridges, and rat killin’ up here on the UMR, the Illinois and the Ohio.  You know how hot it is trying to work outside when the mercury is 90 and the humidity is right behind it. Heck, you don’t even have to lift a finger to have the sweat roll off you. Now think how hot it is chipping and painting a steel boat. I can hear you now. "Oh sure, but they are out on the river where it is cool and breezy."
Wanna bet? It is just as hot out there as it is on land. In fact, it can be even hotter, as that steel boat heats up. Whether the boys are making the boat beautiful or out on the tow working, the heat can get them really fast. Keeping hydrated is a major priority. If you watch a tow go…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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