Coming Soon continued...
CELEBRATION BELLE CRUISES WILL DOCK IN CLINTON
January 30, 2008-Officials of the City of Clinton,
Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Celebration River
Cruises have developed a working relationship that will include cruises
docking in Clinton beginning late spring, 2009.
Celebration River Cruises is a family owned and
operated business owned by Joe and Scott Schadler of Moline, IL.
Every member of the family is involved in the day to day
operations of the vessel from the preparation of food prepared fresh
daily to helping serve their guests to keeping the engines repaired.
Schadler started the excursion boat business in Davenport, IA. in
the 1980's with the Queen of Hearts, a three deck 400 passenger boat.
As the business grew, the need for a larger vessel
became apparent and Schadler purchased the Celebration Belle, the
largest luxury excursion on the Upper Mississippi River. When the
Mississippi Belle II/Wild Rose Casino announced that they would move
their facility to a land based operation on Highway 30, the Schadler
family saw an opportunity with that vessel and also an opportunity to
provide docking service for their guests in Clinton. The Belle
II/Wild Rose Casino will leave its port in Clinton and move downriver
while it is being refurbished.
Clinton Mayor Rodger Holm in meeting with Schadler
said “this is a wonderful opportunity for the City of Clinton as
we continue to develop our riverfront and other tourism amenities. We
fully realize that this partnership opens up additional venues for
visitors coming to our area. The Clinton riverfront has experienced
many changes and continues to be one of the most beautiful along the
Mississippi River.”
As a part of the alliance with the Celebration
River Cruises, one barge and one gangplank will remain in Riverview
Park. The tunnel-like entries will be removed and the view of the
river will be opened.
Joe Schadler commented “this move will also
make docking available to other larger vessels at the Clinton
port.” Schadler indicated that the Celebration River
Cruises is developing experiences based on the needs of their customers
to take part in community activities within the cities they travel on
their Mississippi River cruises. In the past, the company has
hosted Classic Oldies, Big Band, Broadway Showtune and Polka cruises to
name a few.
Julie Allesee, Director, Clinton Convention &
Visitors Bureau, indicated that their Board will be working on
developing a package of opportunities for those visiting Clinton during
their overnight trips. The Bureau will also work with the
Marketing Department of the Celebration River Cruises to begin setting
dates for the 2009 season.
For additional information regarding information
about the Celebration River Cruises and their booking schedules, call
800-297-0034 or visit www.celebrationbelle.com. For Clinton
information contact Allesee at 563-242-5702 or by e-mail at
jallesee@clintonia.com
USS LST-325 WILL VISIT CLINTON
Clinton, IA-The Clinton Convention & Visitors
Bureau has announced that the USS LST 325 will visit Clinton in
September. The LST (Land Ship Tank) is an amphibious vessel designed to
land battle-ready tanks, troops and supplies directly onto enemy
shores. These ships were useful during WWII, Korea and the
Vietnam Conflict and belonged to all services including the Army, Navy,
Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force and Merchant Marine.
Most LST's were scrapped or given to other
countries. In the summer of 2000, LST-325 was saved from the
scrap yard in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece by an aging crew of 50 Navy
veterans. That number dwindled to just 30 by the time they left
Crete on November 14th for the 6,200 mile voyage. After 13 days
on the Mediterranean Sea, a stop in Gibraltar became necessary for
major repairs. On December 12th, a crew of 29 sailed for home,
arriving January 10, 2001.
The men of the USS LST Ship Memorial, INC. have a
mission to educate all of the role the LST played in keeping America
free, and to preserve the memory of these ships and the men who served
and died on them. The names of all who died while serving on
LST's will be displayed on the ship.
The Memorial Board has one goal: to be able to
sail the ship under its own power - up the inland rivers, and along the
coasts allowing all to set foot on her decks and to become a museum and
learning tool for all ages.
The visit to Clinton is tentatively scheduled for
the weekend following Labor Day. The ship will arrive in port on
Thursday and be open for visitation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
There will be a minimal charge to board the ship and there will
be crew members posted within the ship to conduct tours.
The ship's length is 329 ft. with a height to the
top mast of 65 feet. The ship travels at 12 mph. The LST'S
were built in a little over 3 years. One was produced every 5
days. There were a total of 1,005 LSTS at the end of WWII. Only
23 LSTS were lost to enemy action, a total of 46 lost for all reasons.
This ship is home-ported in Evansville, Indiana.
The Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau is in
charge of the logistics for docking, shuttle service, receptions and
memorial services while the vessel is in Clinton. Tour times will
be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be an opportunity for
school groups to attend the presentations. The length of the
tours will be approximately 30-45 minutes.
For additional information regarding the visit of
the LST 325, contact the Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau at
563-242-5702 or e-mail jallesee@clintonia.com
To view additional information regarding this
ship, visit www.LSTMEMORIAL.ORG.
