Morgantown Dominion Post
18 October 2005
By Judy Reckart for the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce
(Advertorial)
Municipal officials and community residents interested in the Morgantown area's ongoing riverfront development will have an opportunity "to see the river from the river" once again Nov. 5.
"The purpose of this second cruise is similar to that of one we organized in mid-November last year," said Don Strimbeck, secretary of the Upper Mon River Association (UMRA). "Our goal is to familiarize influential and interested community members with the Monongahela River's history, to draw attention to recreation and commerce currently happening on the river and to increase awareness of development opportunities available along both banks of the Upper Mon." Strimbeck also is an active member of the Mon River Recreation and Commerce Committee (MRRCC), an offshoot of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce Vision 2020 process. The two river-oriented organizations are collaborating to organize the Nov. 5 tour.
"The Vision 2000 and Vision 2020 volunteers who have successfully encouraged development along the Upper Mon and increased awarenesss of the river's potential aren't resting on their laurels," said Brad Allamong, executive director of the Community Visions Foundation, the Chamber-affiliated organization now responsible for Monongalia County's visioning process. "They're anticipating issues increased utilization of the river and its resources might bring and are working to convene the stakeholders positioned to address them."
Grafton Mayor Tom Bartlett and his wife Barbara once again have volunteered the use of their 52-foot Coastal Cruiser The Enchantress for the outing. The 18-ton craft is moored at the Star City municipal boat dock for the winter - the only docking facility currently able to accommodate a vessel of The Enchantress' size and configuration, according to Bartlett.
Allamong noted the tour also will bring together representatives of diverse river-oriented organizations, each of whom views the Upper Mon from a slightly different perspective. However, tour organizers believe they share a common view of the river as an underdeveloped and under-utilized yet potentially powerful economic, cultural and recreational resource.
The guest list includes municipal officials, real estate developers and representatives of environmental groups such as the Friends of Decker's Creek and recreational entities such as BOPARC, according to Strimbeck. Monongalia County commissioner Bob Bell and Star City Mayor Alan Sharp were among last fall's tour participants and Strimbeck anticipates additional elected officials will join the Nov. 5 outing.
During the approximately four-hour round-trip cruise between the Hildebrand and Pt. Marion locks, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources district fishery biologist Frank Jernejcic will discuss the status of the Mon's fish populations, ongoing issues of river access for boaters and fishermen and potential sites for riverside development. He'll also explain the responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on navigable inland waterways such as the Mon and will detail the function of the waterway's system of locks and dams.
MRRCC and UMRA member Wally Venable will provide commentary on the Upper Mon's history from its pre-lock days through its use as a thoroughfare for passengers and freight, pointing out coal and limestone loading facilities along the tour's 32-mile route.
Organizers anticipate - and will encourage - questions and candid discussion from cruise passengers, according to Allamong.
"As recreation and commerce continue to expand on and along the Upper Mon, we'll continue to examine the question 'What role do we want the river to play in the future development of the larger community?' We're looking to community members for direction."