New Boating Laws to Take Effect Aug. 28, 2008

Note: Below is a press release from the Missouri State Water Patrol.

NEWS RELEASE

PUBLIC INFORMATION SECTION, P.O. Box 1368, Jefferson City, MO 65102

For further information contact: Sergeant Gerard G. Callahan
Public Information Director
Phone: (573) 751-3333
E-mail: Jerry.Callahan@mswp.dps.mo.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jefferson City

New Laws In Effect On the Water for the Labor Day Weekend

The traditional end of summer is upon us and while many people will be boating well into the fall, for some Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah of the summer boating season. The Missouri State Water Patrol asks that boaters stay vigilant in their safe boating practices. Remember the rivers and lakes will be more crowded than other weekends due to the three day weekend. Slow down and be courteous to other boaters around you. Allow for extra time while loading and launching boats.

In addition to the added traffic there will be a number of new laws that will take affect on Thursday, August 28 which boaters will need to be aware of.

· Missouri's legal blood alcohol content for operating a vessel will drop from .10% to .08%.

· Boats must come to an idle speed within 100 feet of an emergency vessel that is displaying flashing lights.

· The nighttime speed limit of 30 m.p.h. has been expanded to include all state waterways.

A law making it illegal to obstruct the flow of traffic on the water was expanded to apply to all state waterways.

News Release ID: N07080178
Release Date: 20080826

Isn't it nifty? Eric is FIFTY!!!

I bet the store sold a lot of orchid-colored Western shirts that year. What do you think? Hubba hubba. Guys, hold on to your lady friends, because this cowboy just might breeze into town, sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!!

NEW HOURS!

We are making a slight change to our hours starting today. From now through Labor Day weekend we will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (Over Labor Day weekend we will stay open until 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.) Starting Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1) we will most likely start closing at 7 p.m. through the week. Yes, folks, it's that time of year. (Sniff, sniff.)

It's a Girl!

Larry and Brenda Kankey (of Bull Shoals, Ark. and the Good Karma houseboat at PCM) welcomed a granddaughter on 8-8-08. Campbell Elizabeth Miller weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 21 inches long. Apparently, Grandpa Larry had guessed ahead of time that she'd weigh 8 lbs, 2 oz and be 21 1/2 inches... Pretty darn close! Brenda says mom and baby are home and well. Isn't she sweet?!

Too Cute

I had to share this photo of our dog, Oscar. This was his first time out on the boat. How can you not love that face?

The Blowout

Wow, so I think I finally figured out how to do slideshows on the blog! Yay, me! Here are a few snapshots of the party on the lake on Saturday. I think the slideshow will automatically start, but if you scroll over the picture you can pause it and click the left or right arrows and go through each photo at your own pace. Enjoy!

I Spy #4 (rated PG-13)

Hmm... what could this be? And where?

The Big Pull

Thank you to Mark Lindhorst for sharing this photo, taken on Bull Shoals Lake. From left: Jeff Heidrich, Cameron Lindhorst, Lauri Heidrich, Sandy Lindhorst, Abbey Lindhorst, Trish Crawford, Craig Mincke, Amy Lindhorst and Matt Forsyth.

I Spy #3

I just posted a picture of a 52-pound catfish... It's been in my drafts since July 5, so it posted way down below the radar picture.... Just wanted to let you know so you'll know to scroll down and check it out.

I Spy #2

This is another easy one... I think. I bet you can guess what it is... but do you know where it is?

I Spy

This is a new little game, where I post a picture of something in Pontiac... and you tell me what/where it is! Starting with this...

Crawdad Boil

Hey everyone! Yes, I'm still here... I wanted to let you know Mike C. is in town for a short visit, and he's heading up the big crawdad hunt tomorrow night. (That's Monday night...) Anyone who wants to go is welcome. Then on Tuesday evening they'll cook them and eat them in the park at the pavilion. Mike will provide soda and watermelon, corn and potatoes. If you'd like to bring something, that's great, but you don't have to. I'm not sure what time the feast will begin, but I'm guessing around 6 or 7? I'll find out for sure and post it here later.

The Blowout

With the 4th of July holiday behind us, people are starting to ask about the Blowout. We are having it, but it will be a little different this year because of the high water. Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 2. More details will follow soon.

And the winner is...

In case you're wondering, we did draw for the $500 gift certificate to PCM. There happened to be a few folks standing around the dock on Sunday for the drawing, including Kirk Mitchell, Dave Kinscherff, Jerry Conner and his son Jameson. We asked Jameson to do the drawing for us. We shook the barrel of names and told him to close his eyes and dig deep. He drew Kirk Mitchell's name two times in a row! And Kirk was standing right there! It was great. So here is the complete list of winners:

$500 gift certificate to Pontiac Cove Marina: Kirk Mitchell

$100 gift certificate to Just Jackie's: Kirk Mitchell

2-night stay at Cactus Ridge: Skip & Angie Dechau

2-night stay at Pontiac Lodge: Don Donley

2-night stay at Roo B Doo: Kelly Laurie

2-night stay at Lost Cove Resort: Sharon Kohler

Congrats to all the winners!

A Tiny Blip

And we thought the July 4th weekend was going to end without any mishaps...

Apparently Mother Nature was upset with the little lake village we call "Pontiac" last night. Check out the radar image above, provided by KY3 meteorologist Brandon Beck. Ignore that big blue blob. That isn't actually rain or a storm. Instead, squint your eyes and note the tiny blip situated right on the MO-ARK line over Bull Shoals Lake. Yep, that's Pontiac. The storm passed through about 10:30 last night and shook up a few folks staying on their houseboat at PCM. They called Bill Bauer, who called Tim, who then called Matt and me. We all met at the dock at about 10:45 to find the walkway from the 200 to the 800 dock broken loose; trash cans missing and trash strewn all through the cove; a piece of metal roofing curled up on one of the older docks; a few lockers blown over; some displaced foam; and a few other structural twists and turns. Overall, the damage was minor, compared to the great storm of February 2006. We were lucky. While waiting for the guys to finish checking and tightening cables, Mom and I were shining a flashlight in the water, looking for missing trash cans, when we spotted that blasted beaver swimming across the cove.

Big Cat

John Herzog and Cathy Faulkner caught this 52-pound catfish on Thursday, July 3.

Gettin' Hitched!

J.T. Glenn and his fiance, Kimberly Tumlison, will be married at 7 p.m. this Friday night, July 4, on the Good Karma houseboat, owned by Brenda and Larry Kankey of Bull Shoals, Ark. J.T.'s parents, Tom and Deanna Glenn, would like to invite any and all friends to attend the ceremony at the dock. How cool is that?!

A week and a day late...

Sorry for the delay in sharing the results of the Pontiac Spearfishing Tourney last Saturday. The guy on the right, Ivan Lawson, is holding the winning catfish, which weighed in at 35 pounds, 4 ounces. See the rest of the results below...

In the catfish category, Ivan Lawson, Troy, Mo., took first ($300) for a 35-pound, 4-ounce fish. Second place ($150) went to Bert Benton, Flippin, Ark., for a 25-pound, 9-ounce fish. Jason Copeland, Bull Shoals, Ark., won third ($50) for a 25-pound, 1-ounce fish. In the rough fish category, Jeremy Manier, Highland, Ill., won first ($200) with a 10-pound, 9-ounce carp. Joe Graber, Edwardsville, Ill., took second ($100) for a 9-pound, 12-ounce carp. And Mel Manier, Eureka, Ill., won third ($50) for a 9-pound, 8-ounce carp. Bob Van Daley, Collinsville, Ill., won $150 for the biggest walleye at 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

After the weigh-in the divers, their friends and families gathered on the deck at Just Jackie’s for the awards, drawing for door prizes and a pizza buffet. Prizes included gift certificates to Just Jackie’s, Cactus Ridge Resort, Pontiac Lodge, Roo B Doo Resort, Lost Cove Resort and a spear gun, donated by the marina.

Pontiac VFD Dinner Saturday

The Pontiac/Price Place Volunteer Fire Department is having a dinner at 5:00 Saturday evening at the fire house. Menu includes pork steaks, baked potato, baked beans, corn on the cob, tea, lemonade, coffee and dessert. Cost is $7 per person. All are welcome to attend!