Weekly News Summary For December 5-11, 2005:
When the owner of Mandeville, La.-based Florida Marine Transporters Inc. saw the efforts of first responders during Hurricane Katrina and the devastation many of their homes suffered, he vowed to do something to help.
“My boat company is doing well, so I wanted to give something back to my community,” said Dennis Pasentine.
He offered $250,000 of his own money. Then he challenged his 450 employees to do what they could. Many had suffered losses, but still wanted to help.
When Pasentine came up with a plan to host a series of fund-raisers, his employees jumped at the idea. So did Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Abita Beer and many food suppliers.
Bands were signed up, some at no charge. Businesses and private individuals offered some paintings, guns and other items for auction. It was an amazing display of public support for the police, sheriff’s deputies, firemen, EMT workers, state troopers and others who left their families to work during the most devastating hurricane in U.S. history.
Florida Marine&’s officers formed the board of Friends of the Frontline, along with two attorneys who do work for the company. A non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation was established. Everyone worked as a volunteer….
Although issuance of the final report was eclipsed by twin hurricanes, the Millennium Port Authority (MPA) completed development of an initial strategy to bring Asian container traffic directly to Louisiana as a gateway for mid-America.
While Louisiana ports show higher growth in a number of areas, container growth had been lackluster for more than a decade at less than 300,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), allowing potential port jobs to be forfeited to other regions, said Edward “Ned” Peak, MPA executive director.
There have been a few bright spots in Louisiana’s container industry recently. The Port of New Orleans began container operations on the Mississippi River less than two years ago at its Napoleon Avenue facility, and has shown normal industry growth since a reliable channel to the container facility is now available, the report said.
The port had operated a container facility on France Road along the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO). Dredging that channel was expensive and Hurricane Katrina silted it up to 23 feet, from the controlling depth of 36 feet. In addition, residents of St. Bernard Parish along the lower stretches of the MRGO have joined with other environmental and coastal restoration groups to urge the closing of the controversial MRGO channel for years….
American Commercial Lines Inc. announced the formation of JeffLabs, a new business unit focusing on technology applications for the transportation industry. JeffLabs will initially focus on five key areas: safety, logistics, regulatory, reporting, customer service and operational efficiency.
Christopher Black, senior vice president and chief financial officer, said in an industry that has been pretty much building barges the same way for the last 50 years, the establishment of JeffLabs creates a lot of opportunities.
“We have been looking at ways to incorporate technology in barge construction,” he said. “This group of talented, high caliber engineers will be an in-house resource to make barges, which we obviously use, better. That is in terms of developing sensing equipment, GPS type devices to monitor if a barge is in tow or even where it is if it isn’t and with materials, with lining, composites, etc.”…
America’s inland waterway system is used most often for commercial navigation, moving bulk commodities like grain, petroleum and aggregate. It is worth remembering, though, that the system is vitally important to the nation’s security and the Department of Defense.
During the fall and early winter, a majority of the navigation on the Mississippi River and other waterways heads towards New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other southern ports, for export overseas. For the past week, though, there has been a special cargo heading upstream from McDonough Marine Service in Lockport, La., to Marinette Marine Corporation’s shipyard in Marinette, Wis.
McDonough’s mv. Mark K’s cargo is the propulsion section for a warship. It is the first of a new class of ships designed to operate in coastal areas around the globe. According to Adm. Michael Mullen’s testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on March 11, 2004, the ship, to be commissioned USS Freedom, will be the first of 13 such ships for the U.S. Navy. Adm. Mullen is the vice chief of naval operations and the second-most senior officer in the Navy.
“When most people think about navigation on the rivers and waterways, they typically think of commercial interests, but the value goes much further,” said Peggy O’Bryan, chief of operations for the St. Louis District. “In this case, we are serving interests of the Department of the Navy.”…
The mv. Vulcan was cleared by the Coast Guard MSU-Pittsburgh to continue operating on the Ohio River after an incident on November 30 when the boat allegedly lost power while approaching Hannibal Lock and Dam and hit the outer guardwall of the dam.
The captain of the vessel, owned by Mon River Towing Inc., of Belle Vernon, Pa., allegedly instructed the crew to jump ship after the boat struck the guardwall, causing the boat to come up on its side, almost overturning. All six crewmembers were able to safely come ashore….
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