Below are some pictures from the Save the Delta Queen press conference on Friday. Thanks to Tom Schiffer for the pictures!

The local ABC news station, WCPO, has a video about the press conference on its website. And Sentimental Productions, too, posted a video clip regarding the press conference by Congressman Steve Chabot concerning the bill to Save The Delta Queen.

Sean Hamill has published a wonderful article about the Delta Queen and the Save the Delta Queen Campaign in The New York Times ("A Riverboat Could Be Cruising to the End of the Line") which also showed up worldwide in the International Herald Tribune. The beautiful pictures in the article are from Nicole Bengiveno and where taken especially for this article just a few weeks ago when the Delta Queen cruised the Cumberland River.

The author of the Article, Sean Hamill, lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and grew up along the Ohio River, knowing the Delta Queen since he was a kid. He sums up the actual situation perfectly and I like the positive attitude of the article – other than a relatively pessimistic article by Jane Engle in the Los Angeles Times which of course is great anyway as it at least raises attention to their readers but doesn’t help much in supporting the Save the Delta Queen campaign directly.

Sean, I love your very positive article in the New York Times!

Another very positive turn comes from Majestic America Line: According to Modern Agent Ambassador’s vice president-corporate development, Joseph McCarthy, said  they are now "100 percent supportive and will do whatever we can to get it [the exemption bill] through." My comment: That’s wonderful, no matter whether Majestic America Line officials really have changed their minds or whether they just recognized that the campaign is gaining enough momentum to possible being successful and Majestic America Line might suffer from not supporting the campaign. As soon as the DQ’s owner really supports the efforts to get the exemption and is giving up its dormant and passive position, this alone helps tremendously.

There will be a PRESS CONFERNECE in Cincinnati on Friday, October 26th, at the Steam boat Park, by the Big Paddlewheel, with U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, of Ohio, at 12:30 PM. Anyone knowing ANYONE in Cincinnati, ask them to show up with a home made sign to Save the Delta Queen, or We Support Cincinnati’s Delta Queen, or other positive signs to let people know we havea lot of support to Save The Delta Queen.

Please call the mayors around Cincinnati, and ask them to call their local Radio Stations, and ask people to show up. You can also call te radion Stations yourself. This will be the first BIG KICKOFF to get National Publicity . This meeting will have feeds to the National Television Staitions and get the coverage we desperately need. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, put on your thinking cap, and think of any and everyone you know in Cincinnati, or across the River in Kentucky and urge them to show up. We need 1,000 or more people.

There is great news: As reported by Nori Muster’s "Lastest News" page, Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio has introduced a stand alone bill to save the Delta Queen – that is, granting her a new exemption fom the Safety at Sea Act. Co-Sponsors of the bill are, so far: Representatives W. Todd Akin (MO), Richard H. Baker (LA), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Wm. Lacy Clay (MO), Jo Ann Emerson (MO), Kenny C. Hulshof (MO), Ron Kind (WI), Jean Schmidt (OH), Timothy J. Waltz (MN), Zach Wamp (TN), Ed Whitfield (KY).

Now is the big moment where the efforts of the whole steamboater’s community need to be combined, supporting this bill, H.R. 3852.

Now it’s your turn, and as Jo Ann Schoen uses to say: GO, GO, GO!  and I add: NOW!

– Contact your local politicians, city councils, Congressmen and urge them to support the bill. We need their help, so please be polite, but let them know how important it is for you and your community to keep the Delta Queen running.

– If you know a Representative willing to co-sponsor the bill, please contact Rep. Steve Chabot’s office in Washington (Anna Rack (202) 225-2216). The more support the bill gets, toe better the chances to get it through the Congress. (see Nori Muster’s site for more details.)