In today's Star-Telegram: Airfield Falls Trailhead remains unfinished months after it was scheduled to open.
Seems like late is normal for TRWD. I've been watching this project for a while, periodically climbing over the No Trespassing barriers to get a better look. It's quite impressive. Someone spent a lot of money on installing landscaping and irrigation. The landscaping hasn't been well tended after installation, though. The last time I was out, they were working on a huge post to mount the pieces of the C-9.
My guesses:
- there are design/engineering/safety issues trying to mount pieces of an aircraft on a 20-foot pedestal
- this project is over budget
It's odd for a normal public entity to withhold comment for such a large project, but history shows TRWD is anything but normal.
________________________________________
I was unable to read the Star-Telegram article, due to not being a subscriber, but I think I can glean from Jumpin Rudy's final sentence that the TRWD refused to comment regarding the tardy project.
I thought I remembered America's Biggest Boondoggle including propaganda about this Airfield Falls Trailhead project in one of their quarterly mailings touting all the imaginary things they have done or are going to do.
I Googled "Airfield Falls Trailhead" and at the top of the list was a link to America's Biggest Boondoggle's website, with the link going to a page from February 2, 2013 titled Airfield Falls Trailhead Update. That is a screen cap of part of that page you see above.
Two paragraphs from the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision Boondoggle's Airfield Falls Trailhead Update....
Last year the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) began working to create a one-of-a-kind trailhead at the entrance to Tarrant County’s only natural waterfall located in Westworth Village. The Airfield Falls Trailhead is located adjacent to the Pumphey Drive entrance to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base.
In addition to new recreation opportunities, the project also focuses on another of TRWD’s missions with the addition of a conservation garden. The trailhead will feature native plants so visitors to Airfield Falls will be able to see how and what to plant during different seasons. This beautiful new trailhead is currently being designed and construction is scheduled for spring 2013.
So, according to Jumpin Rudy the conservation garden, mentioned in the TRCCUPIV Boondoggle's propaganda got installed and then got neglected.
Well, the Boondoggle propaganda did say this garden would feature native plants so visitors can see how and what to plant during different seasons. So, I guess the Boondoggle lesson is to plant plants native to Texas, then let them fend for themselves, just like they would have to do growing naturally in Texas.
Yeah, I'm sure that's the lesson.
When is the plug going to get pulled on America's Biggest Boondoggle? I hope it isn't after something tragic happens like someone getting attacked by an alligator, water moccasin or snapping turtle while Rockin' the River at the Boondoggle's imaginary island...
From the Star-Telegram article:
ReplyDeleteThe Airfield Falls Trailhead has been planned since 2011 when the water district paid to have a McDonnell-Douglas C-9 from the Naval Air Station Fort Worth disassembled.
Wouldn't the TRWD want an aircraft with a real Fort Worth history to it?
The C-9 in question was at NAS Fort Worth in storage, but it never operated out of Fort Worth as far as I can tell. As a matter of fact the plane was in a squadron out of NAS Whidbey Island and named The City Of Bremerton. Before that it was at NAS Memphis and called The City Of Millington.
Photos and renderings of the proposed sculpture still show the markings and/or tail code of NAS Whidbey Island.
I will stop here since I doubt anyone is interested in Navy Bureau Numbers, Manufacturer's Serial Numbers, or how the plane was Struck Off Charge.
Happy 4th to ya.