The above big billboard caught my attention as I walked across a Gateway Park soccer field today. There seemed to be a lot going on on the billboard. And other signs by it. I was curious. It was right next to Fort Woof.
There was a lot of activity at Gateway Park today. A big rugby tournament with loud music and really good smelling Texas BBQ. Texas BBQ is my favorite type of Texas air pollution. Fort Woof was having a lot of barking going on. Including a pair of barking abandoned pit bulls.But, before the dogs, back to the sign. On it I learned there is something called "Gateway Fanatics." And "Go Gateway Activity Sponsors."
I was quickly getting the feeling that this had to be some Trinity River Vision thing. That feeling was confirmed when I saw that the Trinity River Vision is one of the Gateway Activity Sponsors. The ubiquitous Chesapeake Energy is also a sponsor.
A nice trail has been installed and along the trail were well done propaganda signs. But before I get to that I'm going to go to the dogs.
Over by the now defunct Trinity River boardwalks there were a pair of very lonely, tail-wagging pit bulls that appeared to have been abandoned. There were 2 large piles of dog food for them under a tree. The pair acted as if I was there to rescue them. I guess with so many dog lovers in Gateway Park this is a good place to abandon a dog. Eventually I'm sure the pair will hear the barkers in Fort Woof and head over there, hoping to be adopted by a dog lover.
Here you see the nice new trail and some of the propaganda signs for the "Gateway Park Master Plan" touting the planting of over 80,000 trees, an Equestrian trail, outdoor covered basketball courts, kayaking, preserving nature. That type stuff. It was very impressive. The big billboard at the top shows the layout of the new Gateway Park. It will expand west across Beach Street, to the area of the water pipeline I showed you in the previous blogging. Fort Woof will be greatly expanded.
Meanwhile, in Gateway Park, the elaborate wooden boardwalks that used to take you down to the Trinity River are still boarded up eyesores. Now, I'm thinking, if Fort Worth can't manage to maintain what they've already built in this park, what hope does this Gateway Park Master Plan really have? Which also reminded me of what the powers that be have allowed to happen to downtown Fort Worth's Heritage Park.
Here you see part of the complex of rugby fields. I could not get a picture showing how big the crowd was. But it was. Big and loud. This is a very nice complex of sports facilities. There are also very well done baseball fields in this park. However. One thing really bugs me. And it's not just a Fort Worth thing. I've been bugged about the same thing in an Arlington park, that being River Legacy.Okay, like I said, Gateway Park's rugby/soccer fields are very well done. Except for one thing. The restroom facilities are a row of outhouses. Now, I know that indoor plumbing came later to the South than the rest of the country, but really, it is 2009, not 1909.
Food was being cooked and served at this event. Where were the handwashing facilities? At River Legacy they have a big pavilion which is rented out for events like weddings. I've seen a lot of weddings take place there over the years. With food. With the restroom facilities being 2 outhouses. A word stronger than tacky needs to be invented.
5 comments:
Oh, Darlin'...who needs hand washing facilities when you can just lick yo' fingers!
CT2----What a disgusting suggestion. I am going to very wary of your home cooking from now on.
Hmmm...I've not heard complaints upon licking the fingers of others...maybe it's just my own I should avoid licking?
Billy Hill--did you notice if they included locations of all them gas wells poking holes all over the park? All that fraccing need a lot of freaking water, the cheaper (or free)the more profit. Would people want their families to roam around that landmine and breath the air contaminated by all those wells. I sure hope our beloved city (all those banners reminds me of Hitler's Germany and North Korea which is in contrast to the hand made signs by citizens during the 9-12 and other rallies/parades)will take great care when doing the work to expand the park cuz there are big ole pipelines carrying gas (and maybe the toxic waste water to the "injection well" just a couple miles away at the former ARC park on E. 1st and Oakland, right west of Qana Parker Park) crisscrossing that whole park. Can you imagine another big firework show in that park with all those wells and their "escaping" gas? I hope they don't have a firetorch parade and rally to hear speeches by our dear leaders like those b%w film footage from the 1930's. Maybe our dear leaders will mark of a little fenced in area for people and their kids to run and play that has no pipelines right under their feet a-la Ft. Woof park for our precious four-legged pets/"kids", but I doubt there's enough such space available now. Isn't there a big ol' former sewage/water treatment plant there (big humps near the softball fields)? Keep taking pictures and reporting because no one will believe the danger and mess in that park after the million$$ are spent to "decorate" the park that I betcha will be declared "the envy" of the world (as hinted by the beautiful propaganda mini billboards in your picture. Gen. Eisenhower is reported to have made the painful decision to order as much filming of the holocaust camps and the victims because he wisely reasoned that "people are not going to believe this" without pictures and film (even then some geniuses still deny the crime today). This hillbilly thanks you for telling it like you see it.
Billy Hill---Thanks for the great comment. It was blogworthy, and so I blogged it.
I did not see the gas well locations indicated on the map.
There is a big old abandoned sewage treatment plant on the other side of big dikes. I got in there once to check it out, but the fencing has been made more difficult to breech. This is the location of a proposed amphitheater.
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