In the Alexandria Gazette - May
26, 2005
By Michael Lee Pope
Writer for the Alexandria Gazette
A Day on the Water
Old Dominion Boat Club Gives Students
a Tour of the Potomac River
Abubarra Kamara loved being on the water. His eyes lit
up each time a boat passed by, and his attention never wavered from
the mural-sized windows of the dinner-cruise boat. His hands pressed
against the glass, moving him closer to the river. Abubarra pointed
toward the horizon and smiled. When a patrol boat used its fire
hoses to spray water 20 feet into the air, Abubarra screamed in
excitement. He jumped up and down, turned to see who else was
watching. He traced the outline of the water's path with his finger,
moving slowly to catch every nuance of the stream. "This is a happy
time," said Abubarra, who is a student at Polk Elementary School. "I
love the boats!" The Potomac's grand view captivated students from
Alexandria during the Old Dominion Boat Club's annual spring event
last week. The club has been holding this annual springtime event
for more than 40 years, and this year's event held in conjunction
with the club's 125th anniversary offered an hour-long tour of the
river. After the tour, students were treated to a lunch of hot dogs
and beans at the club.
THE STUDENTS had been preparing for the trip all year
learning about the river and its surroundings, its history and its
legends, its hidden treasures and its folkways. We talk about the birds
they might see, what's on the river, what's in the river," said John
Adams teacher Jacqualyne Evansmcrae. She has been preparing her students
for this trip since the school year began. "We are so grateful to the
Old Dominion Boat Club for giving us this opportunity." The boat club
offers several community service events every year, and this is one of
the highlights for former boat club President Harry Harrington. He has
been organizing the event together for the past five years. "I just
love seeing the smiles on their faces," he said. "We do this twice a
year. At Christmas, Santa Clause arrives at the club on a patrol boat.
The kids go nuts when they see him arrive."
The springtime event is also a popular attraction for
the students, who were treated to a running commentary of the boat tour
by Capt. Ryan Wojtanowski. Every few minutes, the captain would take to
the microphone to talk about history, sing sailor songs or playfully
joke with the students. “I like to have fun with the kids," he said
while piloting the "Dandy" toward the intersection of the Potomac River
and the Anacostia River. He approached the John Glenn Jr., a District of
Columbia patrol boat that was waiting to put on a show for the
students. "Who knows who John Glenn was?" the captain asks. "Does
anybody know?" None of the students responded, so the captain explained
about how Glenn was the first man to orbit the Earth. The students
contemplated space travel as the boat sprayed water into a clear blue
sky. The captain smiled as he turned off the microphone. "I was in the
second grade when that boat was commissioned," he said. "I was there,
and that was a day that I will always remember. That's what I'm trying
to do for these kids ? give them an experience that they will remember."
THE CAPTAIN, who is an expert on the history of the
river, taught the students about the starboard side of the boat and the
bow. He sang a song about sailors, and he used his communication device
to coordinate a passing with the John Glenn Jr. Every detail of the
event was a hit with the students. "I liked when the fireboat spread
the water," said Tyrone Brown, a student at Lyles Crouch Elementary
School. "I saw an airplane in the sky," said Lyles Crouch student Najae
Miller as she pointed toward Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
"I don't want to leave. I want to stay on the boat until dark time."
Ted, also a student a Lyles Crouch, spread his arms wide and yelled "I
love this boat" as the "Dandy" pulled into the dock. Although the
students were sad that their day on the river had ended, they were eager
to get their hands on the Old Dominion Boat Club's hot dogs. Tyrone ate
three hot dogs, each one overflowing with a thick coating of relish. "I
love pickles," he said. "Do you like pickes?" "No," said Najae as she
drank from a carton of fruit juice. She looked toward the window, her
hands placed flat on the table. "I want to go back on the boat. I love
the boat."
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