Page 11: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1992)

NATIONAL WATERWAYS CONFERENCE 1992 ANNUAL MEETING

September 23-25, St. Louis

One of the inland waterways in- dustry' major meetings of the year, the National Waterways

Conference's 1992 Annual Meeting and Waterways Exposition, will be held from Wednesday, September 23 to Friday, September 25,1992 at the StoufFer Concourse Hotel in St.

Louis. Some 400 waterway leaders from all parts of the nation are ex- pected to attend.

Taking a cue from this year's 500th anniversary of Columbus's epic voyage of discovery, the theme of the NWC convention will be: "Re- discovering America's Waterways:

Reaping the Riches of the River

Valleys."

Conference chairman J.D. (Johnnie) Laman, manager of marine and international operations for Dow USA, said some 30 speak- ers, panelists and moderators will participate in the three-day pro- gram. It will include two luncheons, six panel discussions, several busi- ness sessions and a banquet aboard a showboat. "Our agenda will focus on several thorny issues presently confronting the maritime industry," Mr. Laman said. Panels will explore such topics as expanding the financial base un- derpinning the navigation infra- structure, assessing the accumula- tive impact of user fees, overcoming restrictions on maintenance dredg- ing, modernizing the Upper Missis- sippi Waterway, and managing reduced Mis- souri River flows.

For the fourth year, a Water- ways Exposition will be part of the

NWC annual meeting. A sec- tion of the main ballroom will be used for exhibits.

To afford all attendees an opportu- nity to visit the exposition, coffee breaks and pre-luncheon receptions will be scheduled in the exhibit area.

Other sections of the ballroom will be used for general sessions and luncheon meetings.

Four other organizations plan meetings in conjunction with the

NWC convention. These include the Arkansas Waterways Commis- sion, which will hold its regular monthly meeting in St. Louis; In- land Rivers Ports & Terminals, Inc., which will hold its fall meeting as well as a board meeting; Missouri

Ports Associa- tion, which in- volves all of the state's Missis- sippi and Mis- souri River ports; and the

U.S. Section of the Permanent

International

Association of

Navigation Con- g r e s s e s (PIANC), which plans a breakfast meeting.

There will be two special reports— that of NWC president Harry N.

Cook, who will deliver his annual message at the opening session, and that of the Army Corps of Engi- neers' Civil Works Director, who will review recent developments af- fecting the river and harbor pro- gram, which will be the kick-off presentation on the second morn- ing.

At press time, the Civil Works

Director was Maj. Gen. Arthur E.

Williams, who has been in the post since April 1991. However, there is a possibility that he may be named

Chief of Engineers in the near fu- ture; he is said to be on the "short list" of possible appointees.

Keith R. Gosney, president of

Pinnacle Transportation, Inc., is chairman of the NWC General Ar- rangement Committee. He and his committee are making plans for all the various events which are part of the organization's annual meeting.

On Wednesday morning, Septem- ber 23, a guided tour will visit Melvin

Price Lock and Dam (formerly known as Lock and Dam 26). The first 1,200-foot lock chamber is now in use, but construction is continu- ing on a second 600-foot chamber.

The facility is located at Alton, 111., about 25 miles up river from St.

Louis.

The Waterways Exposition will

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