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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Martin Partridge's Victoria Park suggestions
Martin Partridge posted in the local papers yesterday,
The first two sentences I would dismiss as legal tough talk which caters to the Corktown crowd. It’s a throwaway.
” Garbage and environment are big issues.
No problem for the garbage. More bins and weekend overtime for staff for the really really busy weekends.
” How about a daily ‘environment fee’ for non-resident adults?”
How do you collect it? How do you ascertain whether someone is resident or not? How many staff will be delegated to carry this out? Will this be a summer job? Or special weekends only? Will Northumberland residents get a special weekend exemption only for the for Northumberland Ribfest event, while others outside Northumberland pay full fee? Where will the checkpoints be?
” Parking is another big issue. Why don’t we stop non-resident car access to the core on busy days?”
Really? Is this a serious question? On busy days, we stop cars to check their residency status? Create a traffic nightmare? And where would the checkpoints be placed? Can’t do that to Provincial Highway 2 aka King Street. So how ya gonna carry this out? How many staff will be involved to carry this out? This is one of the most bizarre ideas I have ever heard.
”Force guests to walk in from further away.”
Don’t ya just love it when a political hopeful is honest enough to use the word “force”. Because I live within half a block of Victoria Park, I assume that I live within ‘the core’, so does that mean that out of town residents who want to visit me will be held up, forced to pay an environmental fee and then walk a block or two just to visit me. I could never imagine treating a guest like that – how inhospitable can you get?
”They’d bring less stuff and maybe visit downtown en route.”
Stuff? Is that the idea? The problem with the park is that outsiders bring stuff? What? Blankets? Umbrellas? Children’s toys? Folding chairs? Coolers? Propane BBQs (They’re legal), Beach balls, Volleyballs? etc. Yep, the loutsiders will feel the hospitality of this feel good attitude. What’s with the “maybe”? I’d want to be far more certain that the loutsiders do visit downtown and buy stuff, before I’d set residency checkpoints on all streets leading to “the core.”
Check a bit of history. Victoria Park was privately owned in 1874, but was always accessible to the public. That is the legacy of this park. Mr Partridge would have us diminish this legacy with his suggestions. No Vote for this.
MY IDEAS RE VICTORIA PARK & THE BEACH:
“Enforcement is essential. Scofflaws undermine the rules and make us look ridiculous. Garbage and environment are big issues. How about a daily ‘environment fee’ for non-resident adults? Parking is another big issue. Why don’t we stop non-resident car access to the core on busy days? Force guests to walk in from further away. They’d bring less stuff and maybe visit downtown en route.”
The first two sentences I would dismiss as legal tough talk which caters to the Corktown crowd. It’s a throwaway.
” Garbage and environment are big issues.
No problem for the garbage. More bins and weekend overtime for staff for the really really busy weekends.
” How about a daily ‘environment fee’ for non-resident adults?”
How do you collect it? How do you ascertain whether someone is resident or not? How many staff will be delegated to carry this out? Will this be a summer job? Or special weekends only? Will Northumberland residents get a special weekend exemption only for the for Northumberland Ribfest event, while others outside Northumberland pay full fee? Where will the checkpoints be?
” Parking is another big issue. Why don’t we stop non-resident car access to the core on busy days?”
Really? Is this a serious question? On busy days, we stop cars to check their residency status? Create a traffic nightmare? And where would the checkpoints be placed? Can’t do that to Provincial Highway 2 aka King Street. So how ya gonna carry this out? How many staff will be involved to carry this out? This is one of the most bizarre ideas I have ever heard.
”Force guests to walk in from further away.”
Don’t ya just love it when a political hopeful is honest enough to use the word “force”. Because I live within half a block of Victoria Park, I assume that I live within ‘the core’, so does that mean that out of town residents who want to visit me will be held up, forced to pay an environmental fee and then walk a block or two just to visit me. I could never imagine treating a guest like that – how inhospitable can you get?
”They’d bring less stuff and maybe visit downtown en route.”
Stuff? Is that the idea? The problem with the park is that outsiders bring stuff? What? Blankets? Umbrellas? Children’s toys? Folding chairs? Coolers? Propane BBQs (They’re legal), Beach balls, Volleyballs? etc. Yep, the loutsiders will feel the hospitality of this feel good attitude. What’s with the “maybe”? I’d want to be far more certain that the loutsiders do visit downtown and buy stuff, before I’d set residency checkpoints on all streets leading to “the core.”
Check a bit of history. Victoria Park was privately owned in 1874, but was always accessible to the public. That is the legacy of this park. Mr Partridge would have us diminish this legacy with his suggestions. No Vote for this.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Four Days After: Compare Parks
Below are two photographs of Rotary Harbourfront Park. Note how lush and even the lawn appears. Northumberland Today, August 26, displayed a photograph of Ontario's Tourism and Culture Minister, Michael Chan, strolling with some local stuffies along this lush path.
Click on image to enlarge
A Cobourger would wonder why a person as important as an Ontario cabinet minister would not be taken for a stroll though Victoria Park. After all, it is, as Mayor Peter Delanty put it, "'the crown jewel' of Cobourg." Perhaps the reason the Minister was not taken to Victoria Park was because of the grounds conditions there. Take a look at the photos below. 
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