Morgantown Dominion Post
22 March 2007
By Evelyn Ryan
BOPARC's new boat dock at Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront Park begins to take shape on Wednesday as a work crew installs the park's newest recreational addition. Bob Gay The Dominion Post photos
Morgantown's new boat dock is in place, but not quite finished.
A crew from Morgantown's Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, headed by BOPARC Operations Manager
Ralph LaRue, installed a 100-foot dock in the Monongahela River on Wednesday morning.
"It went really well," LaRue said. "I have to compliment my crew, who did all of the work. We scheduled a whole day to do the job. but we were done by 11 o'clock."
Local boating advocate Wally Venable helped get the docks in place, he said.
The dock sections were put into the river at the Walnut Street boat loading ramp, and Venable
used his boat to tow them into place just north of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront Park stage.
"I would like to thank Wally." LaRue added. "Without his boat. we couldn't have done it."
Venable noted "While not yet finished, the docks now provide access to town for visiting boaters."
LaRue agreed. "We have to change gears and get the pools open, the parks open, the restrooms open for baseball." he said. 'Then we can come back to do the detail work."
BOPARC worker Bruce Clark bolts an anchor cable to the dock structure. Bob Gay The Dominion Post photos
The detail work includes installing the cleats for boats to tie up to, power boxes on the dock to supply electricity to these 22-foot and longer boats. a rubber guard on the edge to cushion the boats, and some landscaping.
These docks were financed by a $100,000 Boating Infrastructure Grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency. Venable said. The money comes from taxes on fuel paid by recreational boat owners.
In West Virginia, the program is managed by the West Virginia Port Authority, which provided needed matching funds. he added.