Upper Monongahela River Association
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The Loonies Behind UMRA
Some people say "You must be crazy to spend your time fighting the United States Congress and the Corps of Engineers." We're crazy enough to reply "We're not fighting them, we're educating them." Actually we are crazy about boats, and feel we would rather fight for boaters' needs than quit and play golf or some take up some other more expensive hobby.
Among the small group responsible for UMRA, you will find
Don Strimbeck - Retired energy researcher and Army Colonel. He is lucky to only own one boat, at a time. He replaced The Flatulent Tosspot with an aluminum skiff which he can haul up on his dock.
Wally Venable - Retired engineering teacher whose fleet of boats have included the sidewheel launch Ruddy Duck and the English canal cruiser Dawn Adventure. He now owns Osprey II, a 32 foot sailing cottage on Lake Erie.
Brooks & Bunny Javins - Whose fleet of boats includes the sternwheeler Cindy. Brooks is a directional driller (mostly oil & gas) who majored in English and who can recite Beowulf in Middle English. Bunny runs Javins Corporation, a drilling contracting firm based in Morgantown.
Tom Bartlett - Retired civilian employee of US Army Fort Detrick biological warfare station. He also had parallel career US Army Ready Reserve, retiring as Colonel from Corps of Engineers. He is now mayor of his home town, Grafton WV. Tom and his wife, Barbara, are owners of The Enchantress, a 52-foot Coastal Cruiser, docked at Star City.