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Page 69 GREAT LAKES & SEAWAY NEWS • for about $ 1.5 billion. The deal soon will be submitted to the United States Bankruptcy Court in New York for its approval. A decision is expected to be made sometime in April. Feb 10 ... The last of the storage load of grain was removed from the KINSMAN INDEPENDENT in Buffalo. With this cargo ends the era of the grain scooper in Buffalo, the grain will now be brought in by seIf-unloader and their will be no need for grain scoopers. ... Oglebay Norton's MIDDLETOWN was towed out of the drydock at the Toledo Shipyard by the Great Lakes Towing tugs ILLINOIS and IDAHO. They towed her to the T.W.I. Dock and tied her up. Feb 14 ... Oglebay Norton's RESERVE was towed by unnamed Great Lakes Towing mgs up the Maumee River and placed on the drydock at the Toledo Shipyard for her five year survey. ... Several unnamed Selvick mgs towed Interlake's DOROTHY ANN and placed her in the drydock at Bay Shipbuilding. They then towed American Steamship's SAM LAUD and placed her in the same drydock. Both vessels will have their five year surveys. Feb 20 ... Muskegon City Commissioners approved a dock agreement with Lake Express for their proposed ferry service to Milwaukee. The city and the county have an agreement to share the cost of building the estimated $1.2 million ferry dock. The deal is 2 to 1 in expenses city to county. Lake Express will rent the dock for 10 years, they will pay rent based on a 50 cent passenger fee with a minimum of $50,000 a year for the first 5 years and a 75 cent passenger fee the last 5 years. They will rent the terminal at a $ 10.00 per square foot per year and $3.00 per square foot per year for the utility building. Lake Express has a contract with Austral USA in Mobile, Alabama to build a 191 foot passenger/auto ferry, but they are waiting to hear from the United States Maritime Administration on federal loan guarantees. They plan to run three trips across Lake Michigan form May through December. Feb 22 ... At about 10:00 P.M. while the McKeil tanker CAPT. RALPH TUCKER was unloading brine in Amherstburg, Ontario heavy winds and drift ice pushed her away from the dock. After disconnecting and dropping all three of her anchors she came to a stop a short distance south of the dock. Just before dawn the next morning more heavy drift ice pushed her further down the Amherstburg Channel until she ran aground. The McKeil mg STORMONT and Gaelic tugs CAROLYN HOEY and ROGER STAHL arrived and pulled her free about 4:30 P.M.. The TUCKER then sailed up to the Mortem Terminal in Windsor for inspection. r CAPT. RALPH TUCKER upbound in Welland Canal at Port Colborne - May 12, 2001 Photo by Jim Morris