Friday, July 6, 2012

The Latest Trinity River Vision Update Is Full Of Interesting Interior Water Feature Information

In my mailbox this morning I was quite pleased to find the latest Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Update, Volume VII - Issue 1 - Summer 2012.

The Trinity River Vision may be a boondoggle, but I have to admit the boondoggle does a masterful job of propagating propaganda.

I don't think the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is any sort of public government operation, so I, as a citizen, have no right to know how much all the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle propaganda costs.

As in, how much is spent producing and mailing these slick multi-page, full color propaganda pieces? How much is spent on the very slick Trinity River Vision website?

On the Trinity River Vision website you'll find PDF versions of the infamous Trinity River Vision Updates, including the current update.

Via the TRV Update I learned that those giant items I saw floating in the Trinity River a couple weeks ago are the result of a Trinity River Vision Trinity River Art Contest. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? As in what does this type thing have to do with flood control? Now, I can understand what Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats have to do with flood control, but this art contest baffles me.

On the TRV website I read what must be the latest version of the vision mission statement...

Trinity River Vision (TRV)

The Trinity River Vision Authority (TRVA) is the organization responsible for the implementation of the Trinity River Vision (TRV) - a master plan for the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas. It is underway now - connecting every neighborhood in the city to the Trinity River corridor with new recreational amenities, improved infrastructure, environmental enhancements and event programming. The TRV will create Trinity Uptown, a vibrant urban waterfront neighborhood, expand Gateway Park into one of the largest urban-programmed parks in the nation and enhance the river corridor with over 90 user-requested projects along the Trinity Trails.

Event programming? When did event programming get added to the vision? Was this the doing of that Eternal Frat Boy, J.D. Granger, adding event programming to the vision so he could have himself some fun happy hours?

The TRV Update pretends to be full of useful information. But I read nothing about the current status of the various aspects of the vision. I read various articles with aspects touted, like the "Drive-in Theatre Coming to Trinity Uptown." But nothing about what stage we are at in the construction of this important flood control element.

We are told via one article's title that the "Trinity Uptown Bypass Channel Enters Final Stage of Design." In the article we are told that the unneeded flood diversion channel's design effort will address the safety and functionality of the channel while also considering the community's desire for a thriving, urban river walk experience that attracts people and business to the Trinity River.

The community's desire? How did the TRV Boondoggle find out about the community's desire for a river walk? Was it via that public vote on the project? Oh, that's right, there's been no public vote.

In the graphic accompanying the article about the unneeded flood diversion channel I saw something interesting that was not graphically enhanced for easy reading, like the Update's propaganda elements are.


The graphic shows the Boondoggle's various elements. It is hard to make out the text. But after I got my magnifying glass I found the interesting element I referenced above.

When the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle was first hoisted on Fort Worth, about the biggest element touted, before the much needed flood control was added, was that there would be this big Town Lake, covering over 30 acres, giving downtown Fort Worth a water feature that would make other towns in America green with envy.

As the TRV Vision began its slow fade into Boondoggle land, the Town Lake started to shrink. Eventually it became a fraction of its original size, with the locals now referring to it as Pond Granger. Or the Kay Puddle.

Well, this graphic in this latest TRV Boondoggle Update does not refer to the former Town Lake, there is now no mention of a lake, pond or puddle.

On the graphic the Town Lake Pond Puddle is now called the "Interior Water Feature."

George Orwell would be proud.

So much material, so little time. 
More later on this subject.

2 comments:

CatsPaw said...

You know, I was so puzzled before (when I mentioned having seen the big duck near the Woodshed during the Colonial) that I didn't reply. You asked what those other two things were in the water and I kept looking at your photo, thinking, "Well, the duck's got two feet, two wings ..."

Now that I have seen the latest update, I *still* don't know what those other two things are supposed to be, but at least I know to what you were referring.

Frankly, they look like giant bacteria to me. I *know* you'll make something of this perception.

Durango said...

CatsPaw, I guess I assumed you'd seen the three floaters by the Rockin' the River zone. Now I wish I'd not deleted the pics I had of the other two floaters, now that you've put this e.coli idea in my head.