Weekly News Summary For December 17-23, 2007:
As we ice up the champagne and prepare to toast the beginning of 2008, we are mindful of all of the bubbly that splashed onto the sides of new and refurbished vessels in the last year. 2007 was a rough year for champagne bottles, but a very good year for the shipyards that serve America’s inland waterways.
And by all accounts, there will be a lot more champagne bottles expended in christening ceremonies in 2008 and beyond.
At Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, Fla., for example, they are launching a new towboat every month, all being built for Florida Marine Transporters, which is engaged in a vessel-construction program of historic proportions.
When Florida Marine announced in 2005 that it had signed a 25-boat contract with Eastern Shipbuilding, it was huge, record-breaking news. Now, the company has quietly increased that order by 40 percent, to 35 boats, and Eastern has remained busy.
So have the champagne bottlers.
In one ceremony, in Houston September 27, Florida Marine christened five of the new boats, the Ron Hull, Janice Roberts, John P. Pasentine, Monica Means and Billy Burkett….
Several members of Congress did not try to conceal their displeasure with the Federal Emergency Management Administration at the 72nd annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association (MVFCA) held December 6–8 in New Orleans.
Officers of the Corps of Engineers spoke on Friday, while Saturday’s session featured Congressional speakers. While speakers took FEMA to task, the relationship between Congressional members, local levee and flood control officials and the Corps was very cordial.
“It makes sense that the local officials, the Congressional delegations and Corps work together, because we are all working for the same goal, that being flood protection and protection of the nation’s environment,” said George Grugett, executive vice president of MVFCA.
“FEMA is the largest conglomeration of incompetent nincompoops ever assembled,” said Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark.), a past president of MVFCA. “Damned if it ain’t hard to get their attention. But we’re working on it.”
Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark) echoed his dissatisfaction with FEMA, as he told the gathering of flood control experts and many members of the Corps of Engineers involved in civil works of two experiences he had with FEMA trailers. More than 7,000 trailers were stored in his district of Arkansas, never making it to New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf Coast….
Corn Island Shipyard, located in Lamar, Ind., Mile 734 on the Ohio River, has approached the city council of nearby Tell City with a proposal to lease the former Maxon Marine shipyard property in order to build towboats.
The former Maxon Marine site, located at Mile 726, is currently being utilized by the Perry County Port Authority as a riverport to transfer and store bulk commodities. Another group interested in building barges at the site negotiated a lease two years ago, but, unable to make any progress, has reportedly relinquished its interest in the property.
According to the Perry County News, Don Foertsch, owner of Corn Island, told the city council he is prepared to spend $4 million to $5 million on the project and predicts the company will employ 50 people within two years. The new yard would be named Tell City Boat Works….
Up to 26 towboats and 250 barges were held up after the ice storm December 9 caused several Illinois River bridges to close.
At various times December 9, bridges were closed in Hardin, Valley City, Florence and Beardstown. The last of the four bridges reopened December 12.
The towboats were delayed downstream and upstream from the bridges at Florence and Beardstown and at LaGrange Lock, which is between the bridges at Florence and Beardstown.
The ice storm caused a buildup of half to three-fourths of an inch, causing too much weight for the bridges to operate properly, said Roger Wiebusch, the Coast Guard bridge director….
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