Yes, we have boats in Dayton...

Hmm, that looks like a rowing team on a nice peaceful river in a scenic place - must be somewhere out west like Colorado... or maybe a little closer to home, like Tennessee.

Well, guess what - this picture was taken in none other than Dayton, Ohio.  In fact, this location is within walking distance to Downtown Dayton!  And wahat event is this is a picture of?  Try the 11th Annual Five Rivers Fall Regatta!  That is right, we have a Regatta right here in Dayton, and it is quite a popular event.  This year the 12th Annual Five Rivers Fall Regatta  will be held on October 7th on the Great Miami River in between Island and Triangle Parks, and it is sponsored by none other than the Greater Dayton Rowing Association.  With a boathouse and docks just across the street from Island Park, the GDRA shares space with the University of Dayton's collegiate program.

The Greater Dayton Rowing Association offers recreational and competitive programs for all ages interested in the sport of olympic rowing.  For adults, they offer "learn to row" classes for 5-6 individuals at a time working with a coach.  Beyond introductory classes, they offer both sweep and sculling recreational fun rows on a regular basis. Their competitive adult programs travel extensively and enjoy racing successfully.  For youth, they offer high school competitive programs which have been highly successful as well.  In fact, 3 of their boats competed this past weekend at the U.S. Junior National Rowing Championships.

When you consider that we also have the Whitewater Warehouse and Dayton Canoe Club (since 1913), you will soon see that Dayton has some great river action... come check it out!

Vows to Take a Stand...

In early May, Mary McCarty from DDN posted a great article that quoted Rev. Mark Pridmore on his thoughts about the same-sex marriage ceremony that occurred this past weekend at Courthouse Square, "Vows to Take a Stand."  The ceremony that pronounced the couples "forever joined in holy matrimony" was symbolic in nature, as well as a political stand against the state law passed in 2004 that prohibited the legalization of gay marriage.