Update on New Richmond Ramp....

We learned that the grant submission for the ramp upgrades cannot, unfortunately, occur this year. The New Richmond Village Administrator, after working with an Engineering Company and local volunteers, was informed by the State of Ohio that no funds are available this year (2013) and, as such, grant requests cannnot be submitted. The State of Ohio works on two year (Bienium) budgets and the expecation is that monies will be available in the next Bienium.

Despite such slowdown, we know that this cannot stop the progress for this potentially excellent asset to the paddling community. We can't thank enough Bradstetter Carroll for volunteering to work up plans, Dave Kennedy for his hard work pushing on the Grant, Ray Persyck (for, well, being Ray), the folks at the Green Kayak Market for continuing to push on the project and all the other persons interested in building on the Project. We heard that efforts have been made to reach out to potential youth groups/Scouts to create signage and maybe even kayak racks along the river this year. The hope is to  continue to build on the momentum and reach out to as many folks as possible to see the Project through and end up with a truly accessbile top-notch ramp on the beautiful Ohio.

Wow..What a Weekend on the River...

Wow......What another great weekend at our new favorite place in New Richmond on the Ohio; the Green Kayak Market & Eatery. We stopped by on Friday and Saturday. Friday we caught a set by MJ Stallings. MJ played a great set of 60's and 70's acoustic classics and, man, does she have a beautiful voice. We were told she has a singing partner, who will be with her at the next visit, and that there harmonies are amazing. What was really cool is the "family approach" to music that we have seen a the Kayak. A guy named Roy stopped in. He seemed to know a few folks and before we knew it he was making MJ's Taylor guitar sing and joining her in a duet. Sharing the music seems to be the goal of this place and it just seems to happen. Very cool!

 Saturday was proof-positive that this little Village is a place to check out. The streets were filled with cars, with music at both the Green Kayak and the Front Street Cafe. The Green Kayak had +Tana Matz playing again on the date of her 20th birthday. We have seen this young woman perform in the past and she didn't let down. Her girl-next-door approach is only enhanced by her stage presence, beauty and great voice. She engaged the crowd the entire night, and even blushed up a bit as 3 young fans took stage to lead the crowd in a rousing verse of Happy Birthday. You better catch this girl on stage around town soon, because it won't be long before she will be playing in really big venues (with hefty ticket prices!!).  She's still a "free admission" at the Kayak and we here she'll be back again in late March.

We can't wait to see what the Green Kayak has next weekend. We checked out the "Events" section of the Green Kayak Market's Facebook page and the next weekend looks like another hit..........We encourage you to visit.

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Oh the Woes Of This Chinese River.....SAD!!!

The following is a link to a troubling story regarding the status of pollution in certain Chinese rivers. This river is so dirty that, as far as we know, the environmental official is still yet to take up the businessman on his promise of a cash reward for a short swim. We must help our neighbors and friends in China to understand the need for proper environmental stewardship.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/20/chinese-dare-officials-to-swim-in-polluted-rivers/

So How Goes The Kayak Ramp In New Richmond On The Ohio

Look at all these visitors to New Richmond using the ramp...
 

As many of you know, New Richmond on the Ohio re-purposed an old ferry boat landing as the only exclusive canoe/kayak ramp on the Ohio in this region.  A great idea to assist outdoor adventurers and help to economically revitalize a community ravaged by the past, including the federal government's decision to coldly split the Village in two by paving a highway through it. What were they thinking??

Back to the canoe/kayak ramp. Efforts have been ongoing to create a plan to submit for funding to upgrade the ramp. We have been asked and will be offering input on the plan to the Village soon. We have been told that the initial plan estimate needs to be tweaked to comply with State requirements, but also allow for a "reasonable" matching number for the Village. As with almost every government grant, monies are available contingent upon a "match" of funds. This project must succeed and will only do so with the support of everyone.We will update you once we learn more of what this "match" entails and  important details. Until then, "PADDLES UP!!!"

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Beautiful views on the Ohio River. What a resource!!
 

Music Filled The Air This Weekend Again....

Another weekend passed in New Richmond on the Ohio with waves of music crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky. The OMEB School of Rock completed the second half of its student-rocker recitals and it was amazing. From the young man (and his little brothers) wearing the fedoras to the Treon family (both Father and Son) to the teenage rocker-girl, everyone hit the notes and rocked out at the Kayak. As you can see from the photos we pulled from the GK Facebook site, the crowd was large and energetic. If you didn't make it down, you missed some great entertainment

The Kayak christened its new stage with the OMEB School of Rock rockers and, boy, does it look cool. Here's a photo they gave us of the stage in construction. We love the rounded front, and the acoustics in the room are very HOT!!

 

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And The Laughs Keep Rollin and Music Playin....

This little Village of New Richmond, Ohio continues to amaze. We stopped by last night and enjoyed so many laughs along the river. The Green Kayak's monthly Comedy on the River lineup did not disappoint. Ms. Loraine put together another stellar lineup, which included a "newbie" (first time on the stage) and several seasoned veteran comics. Kathie Dice ,( http://www.kathiedice.com/ ) from just south of Cleveland, graced the stage and had people reeling. Her brand of comedy is an outstanding take on life and is fall-over funny. Dave Hyden ( https://www.facebook.com/hyden2 ) headlined in dramatic fashion. People were taken with his relaxed and quick-witted retorts, as the presentation flowed from one topic to another, even picking up smoothly on comments by the audience. His cynical comedy kept everyone on the edge of their seats in laughter. And, for the table of 20 year old men, well, what a lesson in life and relationship!!! They'll never be the same. Of course, as noted, Ms. Loraine hosted the event and opened the night with her unique brand of outstanding humor....WOW!!

 

We are heading back to the Village tonight to stop in on the OMEB School of Rock recital. This rock recital is one of the "coolest" things we have seen. The guitar instructor (aka OMEB "One Man Electrical Band"), Mike Carr, brings his students to the Kayak to show off their guitar skills. The students play lead guitar and Mike sings. They are backed up by music tracks created solely by Mike himself-- he plays every instrument, sings every harmony and mixes it into an amazing masterpiece of rock. Well worth the trip if you are a fan of great guitar playing and rock to the tune of Guns-n-Roses, Black Sabbath, etc,

Paranormal Activity Near the Ohio River??

We ran into someone who was studying alleged paranormal activity in the Villages, Towns and Hamlets along the Ohio River. As we were told, the theory is that paranormal activity (and maybe ghosts) gather energy from running water. The "ghosts" need energy, and running water creates a current (or charge) that is harnessed and somehow converted for use by ghosts or other such ghost-like figures. Whether such is true or not, this is a common theory on why the potential for  paranormal activity is higher near running water. And with the reportings of ghosts and other odd behavior goes the creations of stories. These stories, whether steeped in folklore or verifiable visions, have been passed down through the generations of residents and visitors. Some of the more interesting stories include the ghosts of Utopia and New Richmond.

As noted in an earlier Post in this blog, the history of Utopia is, in and of itself, odd. A strange sect that built an underground church near the river to be closer to the dead is flat-out scary. What is even stranger is the decision to deconstruct a building and rebuild it along the waters edge; despite the history and risks of severe flooding. As fate would have it, an incredible flash flood occurred shortly after building completion resulting in the collapse of the building and the death of scores of people. The story goes that, even today, residents report ghost-like figures walking up from the river.

 

Even the Village of New Richmond has a reported history of paranormal activity. Several structures in the Village have been subject of reports of such activity (old historic High School, Mason Lodge, etc). One of the more popular stories is that of the boy on Pond Run Road, chained in the basement of his home. After fire destroyed the home, the story goes that all that was found of the boy was one hand. The boy, with a hook on one hand, now haunts Pond Run Rd, creating fear in many a driver travelling this dark, windy road near the Ohio River. The story of the ghost on Pond Run Road is woven into the fabric of the history of this mysterious and evolving Village. We hear that investigators may soon visit to explore further. We will keep you advised once we know more. Of course, if you have any stories to share, please do so here......

Rock on the River EXPLODES....

 


As predicted, the OMEB School of Rock struck New Richmond on the Ohio with a vengeance.  The young rockers hit the stage at the Green Kayak on Saturday evening with wild abandon. The guitar solos played by the students were both swift and energetic---wow, what talent? Not a surprise to anyone, the Kayak was packed wall-to-wall with people enthusiastically hanging on every note of each guitar solo. This was a "can't miss" event and is set for a second night of rock next Saturday back at the Kayak......Stop down and enjoy the talent...

Rock on the River....

We learned that the OMEB School of Rock is set to visit New Richmond on the Ohio on Saturday evening (7pm). This is a unique school where the proprietor, Mike Carr (aka the "One Man Electrical Band"), teaches kids (ages 8-18) the in's and out's of playing rock music. What makes his school most unique is that Mike and the kids (most of whom we hear are younger rather than older) hit a local venue a few times a year to put on a real, live rock show. Tonight the gang invades the Green Kayak Market & Eatery. We will definitely be in the house to check this out. We here that these kids can really play. Hope the house is packed for Mike and these young rockers......Here's a photo pulled off the Green Kayak Facebook page

How cool is this!!!

Register Your Ohio Kayak??

Every year we get questions regarding whether a kayak needs to be registered for use on Ohio rivers In short, the answer is "Yes." The Ohio Revised Code requires a kayak be registered via the normal boating process mandating a 12 digit identification number or the alternate registration method The alternate registration costs a bit more, but requires no 12 digit identification number. This registration is reserved for manually powered boats, so be careful if you intend to ever use a motor with your canoe or kayak. Here's a link to a .pdf on the registration issue.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/4/pdfs/laws/OperatorsGuide.pdf

We have been stopped on the water in the past and the officers checked for registration. And,of 
course, always wear your life jacket.

Barges of brine on Ohio River?

Barges of brine on Ohio River?

picture from dispatch article link below

What are your thoughts on shipping barges full of brine down the Ohio River for disposal purposes? The Ohio River serves as a fresh water source for so many people. In light of such, we have, to date,  been unable to find any specific safety studies to show the impact of this potential new cargo and the impact of seepage/spills. What will be the result of the leaking of brine into our watershed? There are just so many questions, with few answers at the moment. Here is a link to a recent article discussing the status of the "brine shipment" controversy.

Please give us your thoughts or other data.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/14/barges-of-brine-on-ohio-river.html

Ohio River Loch Ness???

As the Ohio River has crested and begun its slow drop to pool level all kinds of unique sitings are occurring on the River. Check out this grainy photo taken near on the River near New Richmond on the Ohio. What do you think it is?

This looks a lot like the classic "Loch Ness" photo from Scotland.......Has the flooding waters washed out our own river monster. This disappeared as fast as the picture was shot...

Rising Piles of Snow and Rising Ohio River....

 

February came in with a vengeance. We experienced the beauty of snowfall overnight, accompanied by very frigid temperatures. What a couple of rough nights. On Friday, we visited New Richmond on the Ohio to check out the rising waters of the Ohio River...Wow is it moving.

While in New Richmond we happened upon a great music event at the Green Kayak Market & Eatery. We heard a band called Kentucky 31 play some great bluegrass, followed by the Denver Young Band. Kentucky 31 is a collection of talented, experienced musicians who clearly love playing and entertaing. The two young guys constituting the Denver Young Band were flat-out fun. Denver sang and played a rhythm guitar, and  Ryan primarily played lead and back up vocals. Watch for these guys; they can make it big. Both bands can be found on Facebook and we hope you "Like" them like we do....We will be watching for these guys to come back to the Kayak for another performance----they are GREAT!!

This little river town rocks! We so encourage people to check it out