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October 10, 2005 -- Vol. 5 Issue 41 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:
Ever Wonder
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? A Personal Note From Jack
 I have been a journalist for more than 50 years, and never, NEVER, NEVER!!! have I made such a journalistic blunder — at least not to my knowledge — but last week I did.
For some 20 years I have had a picture in my head of Greer Garson and somehow, in some twisted manner, that image stuck with me as I began to write about Rachel Carson, author of “Silent Spring.” It was her work, you may know, that really gave a big boost to the environmental movement. Backing up a little, every time I saw the name of Rachel Carson, what popped into my memory bank was Greer Garson drinking tea with Freddie The Freeloader on Red Skelton’s television show. I admired her and thought her a beauty. I knew Garson was admired as an actress. I never quite put together why she would have written the book (which she didn’t). But in my warped way of thinking that she had written it, I could see why fans believed her. I know it wasn’t Alzheimer’s; it was sheer carelessness on my part — carelessness that dates back to when I first made the mistaken connection between actress and biologist. Rachel Carson is actually known as the founder of the contemporary environmental movement. A scientist in her own right, she joined forces with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in the early 1930s as the writer of a radio show Romance Under The Waters, passed her civil service test in 1936 and the Bureau hired her fulltime as a junior biologist. Over the next 15 years she rose in the ranks until, finally, she became chief editor of all publications for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. I made it a point to emphasize that information in a “Waterways Journal” editorial dated October 10 in connection with the House-passed legislation to revise the Endangered Species Act. In it I said that, “We have no doubt that she believed firmly what she wrote in Silent Spring. But we wonder if she foresaw how (beyond improving the landscape for wildlife) a law such as ESA would impact our nation, arouse such controversy and, in our opinion, be so unfair. She was, by the way, author of at least half a dozen other books related to the environment.” Since I have not read all those books, I have no critical judgement to make of her. She earned her stripes. My opinion about environmental-law enforcement abuse hasn’t changed. And whether it had really been Greer Garson or (as it really was) Rachel Carson, nothing has changed except my brain cells have finally processed the information correctly. I apologize for my sloppiness in this matter. It’s just that the image of Greer Garson was so entrenched in my memory that I made the leap and accepted it as accurate. — Jack A Word About The TECO Boats The news media, and indeed many of you on the Internet (and B&B subscribers) have no doubt seen pictures of the TECO boats on the levee after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. I, too, have been privy to pictures -even one of the Ann Peters burning. But as I have emphasized in the past, I cannot use pictures on my site without having the permission of the photographer. Exceptions are when the Coast Guard or Corps of Engineers happens to provide a picture and it is just credited to the agency from which we got it.  But now comes to us from a Corps employee three pictures of the TECO boats on the levee, one showing efforts to extinguish the fire on the Ann Peters, which was considered a total loss. Firefighters worked diligently to keep the blaze from spreading to other boats.
 So here, from Capt. Butch Bartholomew on the Mv. A. D. Heasley with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bank Grading Unit #1, are pictures of boats pushed up on the levee by Katrina. Capt. Bartholomew says he has hundreds of pictures of boats and barges on the levees, no doubt far more than ever hit the pages of newspapers covering the event.
 At the time he sent these he was facing some difficulties because cell phone and laptop service were not really good yet. Perhaps along the line we will see some very dramatic ones that we can enter into our photo center for the duration. Our thanks to the Good Captain.
Newsletter News
A Point About Copyright Copyright notices are “warning signs” that news companies and writers hang on their product to scare you away unless you want to buy a copy for reprint. But there are some rules about copyrights, much to the dismay of news disseminators. No one can copyright facts. What you can copyright is the way in which you present them. They even go as far as to suggest that no one can rewrite the facts for distribution. Well, I have a clue for them. If that were true, then only one story would surface. The others would all be illegal. The truth is that most of the people involved in newswriting are busy gathering facts wherever they can, and many of the accept published information as factual in all cases. But there is also an often abused rule that says writers should have at least two sources confirm some facts. That’s so they don’t make mistakes. For example: If a reporter writes in a news story that “John Doe held tightly to his dog Rex as the two of them slide down the side of the mountain and slammed into a tree, breaking both of Doe’s legs and badly injuring his dog.” Some of the facts cannot be copyrighted. If you quote the writer verbatim and use more story than the law allows, you are guilty of plagiarism. You have used the writer’s creative method of presenting the story without paying for it. However, this writer is not the only one who will write the story. If six writers do it, then there will be six varying accounts of how it happened. The original reporter cannot lock up the news. He cannot copyright the material indicated that the man’s name was John Doe and his dog was Rex. He cannot copyright how the man got injured, nor the actual injuries. Writers can confirm the incident by checking the hospital and with his family. Today I received a copyrighted story, and at the end was an invite to buy the story for further distribution. That is fair. Interestingly, it is a story about how engineers are studying what went wrong with the New Orleans’ levee system. I have read countless stories about that. And if the writer used material he got from attending a public meeting, there were most likely other stories that said basically the same thing, possibly written by other writers in attendance. We don’t blame them for seeking protection: however, have you noticed at press conferences where dozens of microphones are set up in front of the speaker? Have you noticed as someone scans the room that there are photographers everywhere? Does anyone believe that half a dozen photographer standing side by side and shooting pictures of the same speaker at almost precisely the same moment would not get shots that were alike as peas in a pod? Yes, the photographer may copyright his picture. And the others may copyright theirs. But many will be almost exactly alike. It would be almost impossible to determine which picture is being used in a news release. Technically, specificity might be proven, but what a waste of time. When we run into stories that have several different versions by different writers, we simply utilize facts and not styles. If we really like one version and wish to quote from it, we keep our quotes short and credit the publication, sometimes both the publication and the writer. After all, we are not trying to prove how good we are; we are trying to distribute important news. We are not revealing secrets here. Being clever with writing style doesn’t change the facts, which one cannot copyright. Remember, if you see detailed story about a company, you can call an official with that company and ask if he read the story. If he did, you can ask, “Is it correct?” If not, you can ask where it was incorrect. That is a cheap way to research facts. We don’t do that. But we could. Companies spend hundreds of dollars to have reporters and photographers on the job. Sometimes they uncover things no one else has revealed. So they deserve credit for their work. A crucial point is that if you make money off of material you have plagiarized and the writer challenges you, you are in deep doo doo. B&B does not charge for its newsletter. We still try to treat the hard work of reporters and photographer with respect. (Editor’s note: Anyone wishing to plagiarize this note can do so without fear of recrimination. We want as many readers as we can get.) Web Site News
Check our Gift Shop section below for news about changes we have made to that portion of our web site. 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
Engineers Probe Levee Failure A big question that needs an answer right now is: Did the New Orleans levees fail because they were not designed to handle storm surge such as that produced by hurricane Katrina, or were the levees not designed or maintained properly? The obvious easy answer is, yes, the storm was too much for them. The tough part is “Why?” Engineers in New Orleans are presently looking into those matters. While it is much too early to know the answers, they are important, because rebuilding of the infrastructure is planned, and builders need to know where they went wrong. There is even talk of lawsuits, because some think a better design might have prevented billions of dollars worth of damage. One institution said if that is the case, public institutions, builders and contractors involved in their construction could be vulnerable to litigation. While it is generally understood that the levee system was built to withstand a Category 3 storm, some still believe Katrina was a Category 4. Yet later reports indicate she was not a Category 4. The answer to that will be kicked around for some time. In the meantime, engineers are also investigating a theory involving “heave,” where the force of the storm causes water damage below the top of the levee, sometimes squeezing water out from under floodwalls. Stay tuned! (Editor’s note: With all due respect to the ambulance-chasing lawyers, I’m not sure errors of judgement count. In this case, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had plans on the books for a bigger, stronger levee system, built to take much more of a storm, but they could never get money to build it. Pinpointing who was at fault for that might reveal some vulnerable targets, but the Corps can’t be one of them. And if contractors followed specs outlined in their contracts, I don’t see how they can either.) The Price Of Rail Cars And Barges This is a little out of date, but it is revealing. We read on September 27 a report that said many railroad cars and barges were sitting idle due to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. The president of a Kansas City grain elevator said that a month before that report was written, a shuttle car could be leased for a premium of about $300 to $450. Last week (the week preceding the report), the price was $1,800. There was also a backup of barges waiting to unload their grain at tidewater and that meant that the normal cargo hauled back north on the return trip wasn’t getting delivered either. (Editor’s note: This is a perfect example of supply and demand and the impacts thereof. Think of that in light of the energy shortages and gasoline prices.) Missouri River Threatened By Global Warming? A Missouri environmental entity, the Missouri Public Interest Research Group, claimed recently that data analysis shows that global warming is affecting the Missouri River basin, threatening the state’s water supply. The Missouri supplies water to 10 states, including Kansas and Missouri, the Corps said. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources hasn’t studied the issue to make a judgement on the report but agrees that conserving water is important. The chief remedies of the environmentalists would be to reduce emissions by power plants and vehicles, enacting tougher efficiency standards, and using more renewable energy sources. But the conservationists and the fishing and recreation industry in upstream states want a more seasonal spring rise and lower summer flows to mimic how the river flowed naturally for centuries. [The natural flow produced terrible conditions.] The Corps, which reported this story, said “Downstream farming and shipping interests, such as Missouri, worry that changing to an ebb-and-flow would end barge shipping and cause flooding.” Related note: The Corps’ chief of water management reported in mid-September that “…drought conditions persist in the Missouri River basin, with runoff so far this year 80 percent of normal.) Dredged Material From Illinois River Could Be Used To Restore Louisiana Wetlands It is reported that dredged material from the Illinois River could be used to help restore coastal wetlands and that Louisiana needs tons of the sediment to help restore damage done by Katrina. Louisiana is considering a demonstration project that would involve bringing up to five barge loads of sediment to the Louisiana wetlands. It could be worked financially if both states helped fund the project, officials said. One specialist said that one barge load of sediment could produce one acre of land to protect coastal areas from tidal surges. Stayed tuned for the decision! 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 From Our Readers
What Happened To The Natchez? With all of the hub-bub around New Orleans after Katrina, I’ve yet to hear of what happened to the Natchez. I assumed she was taken upstream somewhere to ride out the storm (both physical and economic). Do you know? I heard that the Delta Queen and American Queen were staying in Natchez or Vicksburg for a while, but have heard nothing on the Mississippi Queen. Is the company planning to relocate their offices? (Cincinnati, anyone?) Thanks for any insight you can give on the status of these vessels! Cap’n Randy Ward (Editor’s note: We’ve been told that both the Queens were away on cruises when Katrina hit. No word on the Natchez or on the offices of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Help us! Anyone!) Reader Needs Information We have a reader who wants to know if there are any navigable waterways from Vancouver, Canada, to South Louisiana via rivers, lakes, streams, etc. He wants to transport a 168-foot barge to Louisiana without going through the Panama Canal. Any help would be appreciated, he said. (Editor’s note: As far as we know there aren’t. As Dan Owen reminds us, you either cross the Rockies or go through the Panama Canal.) Returning Evacuee Finds House Okay Ed Rahe of “The Waterways Journal” has informed us that Betty Evans, widow of former WJ staffer Bill Evans, has returned to her Gulf Coast home and found it in good shape. While the yard was a mess, the only problem in the house was the refrigerator, and that seems to be a common problem. All she had to do was turn on the lights and clean out the frig, which she says she has to replace. The home is located in Mandeville, just off the Causeway heading to New Orleans. So she dodged a big one. We have no word yet about the condition of the WJ’s Gulf Coast Office. 
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! Boat Photo Center
 We have another 10 views for you this week. Included are: the Mvs. Thomas K and Michael Luhr from George Vincent; E. T. Barber and Kacie Luhr from Leon Puckett; W. A. Kernan and Myra Eckstein from Jim Mihalek; Lisa Ann from Jeffrey L. Yates; and three pictures of TECO boats on a New Orleans area levee from Capt. Butch Bartholomew.
Click here for the Boat Photo Center. Book Beat
The Inland River Record Just a note to inform readers that the 2006 “Inland River Record” is in production and due to be delivered around mid-November. Because of that, we are reluctant to sell 2005 editions of the IRR unless the customer insists on having one immediately and is aware of the potential arrival of the new one in November. No, we can’t sell a 2005 now and replace it free with the 2006. It doesn’t work that way. Just a note of caution. We suspect that most readers don’t buy the IRR this late in the year for that very reason. North America Inland Waterways Map and Index - by Euromapping. Edited by David Edwards-May.  64 pages. Soft Cover. Nonfiction. This book is a great tool for river users, boat watchers, historians, researchers, etc. Most impressive is the huge foldout map (in color) measuring about 27 x 39 inches. It covers U.S. waterways as far west as Sioux City, Iowa, head of navigation on the Missouri clear to the East Coast and north and south from Canada to the Gulf. It also includes insets of the Pacific Northwest; Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers; Southern Texas; Canals of Nova Scotia; Welland Canals, Canals of New York City, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania; and Southern Florida. There has been a great deal of collaboration with North American sources-contributors are listed. A list of the contents reveals why it is a must have book. It has a quick index to the inland waterways, key facts about inland waterways, Heritage sites and visitor centers, an index to key waterway structures, an index to lakes and reservoirs, an index to towns and cities, a section explaining the importance of inland water transport and a list of resources. The two pages of resources are those from which material was used to compile the book. Locks and dams are included and identified on the rivers. “The North American Waterways Map and Index will assist the inland waterways user, educator, researcher, appreciator, and bystander in pursuing their particular interests for years to come. The broad scope of this work combined wit its great detail make it a most useful tool.” - Thomas X Grasso, President, Inland Waterways International and President, Canal Society of New York State. Usually ships within 48 hours. Our Price: $26.00 The Gift Shop
Models And Caps Discontinued Because Cherokee Barge and Boat has announced an interest in advertising its multitude of river-related products in our newsletter and perhaps on our web site, we have discontinued handling the scant choice of barge models and the American Steamboater caps that we previously carried in our gift shop. These products will be available in a larger variety from Cherokee, so it will actually be more convenient for those desiring to buy models. By ordering directly from Cherokee, customers can get the precise selection with boat and company name, type of barges, etc. that they want. This is a service we could not offer. Tow Talkin'
October 10, 2005 By Kathy Flippo  This has been a very busy week meeting, myself coming and going. Wednesday morning I got up at the crack of dawn and was on the road by seven on my way to Moline, Illinois, to do a breakfast program about the river and towing industry for the Senior Citizens Breakfast Club of Trinity Lutheran.
Moline is one of the Quad Cities, the others being East Moline and Rock Island on the Illinois side and Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side. I can never find my way down there because the river runs wrong! I’m used to having the river running north to south, and down there it runs east to west. Drives me NUTS! Naturally I got turned around because of a detour, but I made it and on time too. Was able to tell the great stuff about towing to 40 people. Wednesday afternoon I drove across the river to Van’s Landing to Rick and Cindy Tomman’s cabin/house to pick up a couple pots of flowers that I am going to winter for Cindy. I was kidnapped! They MADE me take… 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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