The Dominion Post
9 July 2005
By Natalie Neysa Alund
Flocks of geese, lush green trees, the scenic Monongahela River and ... dam trash?
It's a sore sight on Jay Forsythe and Monica Matuska's otherwise scenic weekly running route along the rail-trail.
"From basketballs to plastic, you name it, it's there by the dam," Matuska said while taking a break from a trail run Friday.
"The trail along the river is great except when you get to the dams and see all the trash," Forsythe added. "There's just so much of it that really needs to be cleaned up. Something needs to be done to make certain aspects of the river more attractive to people — there should be some sort of cleanup system in place."
Solutions to trash that collects behind the river's dams is one of several topics to be discussed August 20 at Morgantown's first Mon River Summit.
Mon River Recreational and Commerce Committee met Friday to discuss the summit's tentative agenda.
"Trash is just one of many issues we'll talk about finding solutions too," said Brad Allamong, a member of the Mon River Recreational and Commerce Committee, who is sponsoring the event next month at the Radisson.
Other items on the tentative agenda include sessions regarding shore-side recreation, riverside construction and river commerce.
"When it comes down to it, river issues are a challenge," Allamong said. "There are many people who have interest in the future development of the river." Some of them, he said, include the Upper Mon River Association, private developers and recreational users. "So when you get all these people with different wants and desires for it, it comes down to can they agree on a future plan," Allamong said.
"The desired outcome is that the summit will generate interest in the creation of an overall plan to best utilize this tremendous resource," he said. "While the many interested groups see the Mon River's potential a bit differently, we hope that more folks become aware that the river can continue to be a focal point to draw us together as a cornmunity and as a region."
Allamong said Friday that Brian Kastick, Gov. Joe Manchin III's legislative director, will be one of the guest speakers. Other tentative guest speakers are U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan and U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania.
"We have request in to their congressional offices and we're just awaiting word from them," Allamong said.
Mon River Recreational and Commerce Committee's next meeting is slated at 9 a.m. July 20 at the Radisson.
During that meeting, Allamong said that committee members will finalize the summit's tentative agenda.
Information
DATE: Aug. 20, 2005
LOCATION: Radisson Hotel
REGISTRATION LIMIT: 120 participants (sit-down luncheon)
REGISTRATION COST: $25-$35 per person (subject to change)
Tentative summit agenda
8-9 A.M. — Registration
9 A.M. — Introductions/agenda/topics
9:15 A.M. — Opening Address: "Vision for the
River"
10 A.M. — Break
10:15 A.M. — Panel: "State of the River"
11:15 AM. — Breakout sessions:
Water contact
Shoreside recreation
Riverside construction
River commerce
12:15-1:30 P.M. — Lunch/luncheon speaker (Brian Kastick, legislative director for Gov. Joe Manchin Ill)
1:45 P.M. — Panel: "Visioning for the Mon/Successful
Cases" Examples: Marietta, Chattanooga, the White River
2:45-3 P.M. — Break
3 P.M. — Creative solutions sessions:
Water contact
Shoreside recreation
Riverside construction
River commerce
4 P.M. — Final reports
4:30 P.M. — Adjourn