Missouri |
![]() O#44: New Haven, Missouri OSeptember 25, 2010 |
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The town of New Haven, Missouri, is located on the Missouri River, sixty miles west of Saint Louis. By the banks of the river, where riverboats once stopped to take on wood, the historic downtown area is undergoing some modest redevelopment. Up on the bluff are quiet residential neighborhoods and newer businesses along Missouri Highway 100, giving way to some new housing and farmland to the south. |
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In 2009 I was invited to fly in New Haven as part of the New Haven Balloon Race. The race is sponsored by the local Pepsi bottling plant, one of the largest employers in the area. I made arrangements to travel out to Missouri with my crew chief, Bob Dunnington. However, the weather did not cooperate. Bob and I left for Missouri on Friday morning, shortly before the race was canceled, and had a chance to see drizzly rain turn into torrential rain before we flew back home. Fortunately Brad Zobrist, who organizes the race, was very supportive and invited me back to try again in 2010. I made arrangements for Bob to come help again, along with Brian Shafer, who had crewed for me before. Then I waited to see what the weather would do on the Saturday afternoon of the race. |
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At noon on Saturday we started setting up at the New Haven city park. It was bright and sunny, although my last look at weather before leaving the hotel showed a line of rain already entering the northwestern part of the state. My best chance was to get into the air a bit early, to see if I could beat the rain -- the potential downside being getting all set up and having it start to rain. I decided to give it a try. Brad supplied some local volunteers, who began inflating the balloons. |
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