Tuesday, February 3, 2015

People Perplexed By How A Panther Fest Water Slide Celebrates Local Fort Worth

Yesterday evening, on Facebook, a couple Facebookers messaged me that which you see here. I saw it an wondered what fresh ridiculousness is this?

An hour or two later, also on Facebook, I saw a post which clarified what fresh ridiculousness this Panther Fest thing was about.

Earlier yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, I learned that the giant water slide charity operation which has been sliding in towns across America was coming to Fort Worth. I remember wondering, when I read that, where there was a sufficient elevation change, in downtown Fort Worth, to make water sliding for 1,000 feet doable.

That aforementioned Facebook post generated multiple comments which shed light on this Panther Fest event. I will copy and paste a sampling of those comments below, but before I do that, so that the first comment makes sense, make note of the slogan  at the top of the poster, with the black panther in the middle, "CELEBRATE LOCAL CELEBRATE FORT WORTH".

And now the comment sampling....

"Stick around and celebrate all things local." Except history. Or diversity. Because they've destroyed it.

And then a well known Texas jogger commented...

TRWD's Lawn Whisperer says "Remember to not water your lawns and conserve our precious and dwindling water supply.... so we can flush it down the street for a slip & slide and water gun fights.

Followed by a not so well known Texas blogger....

These giant water slide things are taking place all over the country. I first learned of this a couple weeks ago when I read one was coming to Seattle next summer. It is an expensive slide, with inner tubes for rent, which plays right to the TRV Boondoggle's strength. But, I assumed this slide thing would only be happening in towns with vertical drops. Where can a 1,000 foot water slide be placed in the downtown Fort Worth zone that is not vertically challenged? Has the Boondoggle excavated enough dirt for its Three Bridges Over Nothing to build a hill for a water slide???

Which then had someone explaining where Fort Worth's slide will do its sliding...

It will be on Main Street from the Courthouse going north, i.e. across the Trinity.

Which had one of the Tarrant County Water Warriors sharing a concern about the slide's water source....

Well let's hope that's not where they get the water for it

Which then had TRWD board member Mary Kelleher sharing her sliding befuddlement...

Don't ask me. I'm just a TRWD board member and this is the first I've heard of this. Elections in May! Incredible! Makes one motivated to make change on that board?

Which had a previous commenter elaborating on the Panther Fest slide...

From my inquiry to Slide the City about water, this was the gist:

Here is our general statement as a company on water usage:

The slide is designed to recycle water throughout the day, and to treat the water in a safe and environmentally friendly way. This, as well as the overall design, minimizes the impact and water use. In addition, Slide the City partners with a local charity, preferably a water related one in drought stricken states, and they try to donate (where permissible) the water back to the community at the end of the event.

Approximately 12,000-16,000 gallons of water is typically circulated in a day. Slide the City works with city officials on the proper water disposal. Methods of disposal include local reclamation centers, parks, golf courses and other places dependent upon local regulations.

To which Mary Kelleher let us know she will bring up this Panther Fest slide thing at the next TRWD meeting...

Thanks for looking into this. I most certainly will bring this up st our next meeting. Or at least try to bring it up at the next meeting since I need a second from another board member just to get an item on the agenda. Our current directors have lost focus of the TRWD's mission: flood control and water supply. Elections in May.
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Well, due to the nature of this Panther Fest event, what with beer and bands.

And water wasting.

I am assuming this is a Trinity River Vision Boondoggle product. Doesn't that quasi-governmental  body now own the rights to attaching the name "Panther" to anything they feel like attaching it to?

Isn't the TRV Boondoggle a product of the TRWD. So, how does something like Panther Fest come to be without the subject coming before the TRWD board?

Very perplexing....

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