THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994 TAG: 9406080125
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: W8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARK DuROSE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940609 LENGTH: Long
Carl and Kathy Olson headed up the water security committee during the annual party on the water. And like the Olsons, many of the other volunteer patrols entered their boats two by two, as husband-and-wife teams.
{REST} ``There are a lot of husband-and-wife couples who work on the different committees all throughout Harborfest,'' said Carl Olson. ``With all the time that goes into it, and all the help you need, it works better if two people in the home are involved. It cuts down on misunderstandings on the home front.''
The Olsons supervised water security. Their duties included the enforcement of river restrictions during the festival, the transport of VIPs - like performers and honored guests - and the coordination of all boating and water events.
They worked under the larger umbrella of Water Events, which encompasses everything that happens on or above the water, including fireworks displays and air shows. That committee was headed by another matrimonial match, 12-year Harborfest veterans Art and Marie Quarnstrom, who depended heavily on the Olsons.
``They maintain all the security. They're the ones who don't get any sleep,'' Art Quarnstrom said.
``They're a great couple,'' added his wife, Marie. ``They work real well and real hard together. We couldn't do it without them.''
The Quarnstroms, like many Harborfest workers, have performed many jobs on various committees over the years. But the Olsons have worked only on the water.
In 1989, they decided to answer an ad asking for volunteer committee boats after years of unofficial on-the-water activity. ``We've come to all 18 of them. And done everything you can do at Harborfest, from anchoring in the spectator fleet, to getting hotel rooms on both sides of the river. Then we decided to get involved instead of just watching,'' Carl Olson said.
Water Security was the perfect opportunity for the two. ``We always brought our boat, anyway,'' said Kathy Olson. ``Why not use it to help out?''
In fact, the Norfolk natives seem to possess a strong aquatic bent to their personalities. Carl is an engineer with Newport News Shipbuilding, and Kathy is business manager for the Applied Marine Research Lab at Old Dominion University.
In the beginning, the couple ran a committee boat, which cruises the harbor alongside Coast Guard vessels and police boats. Committee boat volunteers are responsible for their own boat, and all their own equipment, such as radios, life preservers - and the all-important sunscreen.
For the past two years, the Olsons have run all the committee boats, 44 this year and 22 last. A host of new volunteers were recruited for this festival when engine troubles claimed seven of the minimal 22-vessel fleet, and the boats remaining were left to make do without relief much of the time.
Last year the committee struggled through the demands of a storm-tossed party on troubled waters.
Charlie and Betty King, who were aboard the 24-foot Charlie's Angel, aka boat 29, in this year's fleet, were on hand, and remember the intense thunder storms that besieged last year's festival. ``It was raining so hard, I couldn't even see to the end of the boat. It was something. I had to radio for the Coast Guard myself,'' said Charlie King.
``I just went down below and sat and waited,'' said Betty King, who recruits agents for the FBI in Norfolk the rest of the year.
This year, the Kings and their tiny mate, a dog named Bubbles, were appreciative of the larger fleet and the nicer weather. ``It was perfect, really,'' said Charlie King, a Court Clerk in Gloucester. ``And it's a good group. Everyone pitched in.''
Even with the addition of so many new ``captains,'' Carl Olson agreed the committee did an excellent job. When two young men attempted to cross the channel to the restricted Norfolk side in a kayak Saturday afternoon, a ready volunteer responded within 30 seconds of the reports and turned the mischievous rowers around.
``There are at least 15 or 20 boats out here with five years experience or more doing this, so most everybody knows everybody else, and what's going one,'' said Carl Olson. ``But all the volunteers have to be qualified. You have to be a good captain, and know what you're doing on the water. You also have to be good at dealing with the public, and speaking authoritatively when you have to.''
As a first line of defense, the volunteers help the Coast Guard and police turn boats around or bring all vessels to a halt when events are happening. For example, during Don Johnson's aerial stunt performance, all the boats in the river had be to corralled into the spectator- fleet anchorage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supervisor stood by, ready to cancel the aerial performance if there was any movement on the water.
Working Harborfest is a continual responsibility, from noon on Friday to the festival's close on Sunday afternoon, as literally thousands of vessels make their way down the Elizabeth River. Over the weekend, for example, the Olsons put in more than 30 hours, and the Kings more than 20.
But much of the Olsons' responsibility is handled before they ever lower their 20-foot Bayliner, `Annie,' into the water.
``About 95 percent of our work is coordinated beforehand,'' said Kathy, who estimates an outlay of 200-plus hours from October to June, before the big event itself. ``It's mailing letters and making phone calls, and attending mettings.''
On top of the time commitment, the Olsons take vacation time from work and pay their own hotel accommodations for the weekend. ``Bottom line is, we wouldn't do it if we didn't love it,'' she said.
In return, they received complimentary T-shirts, an allocation for gas, free food, and, most importantly, the best view of the Saturday night fireworks at Harborfest. by CNB