Trinity River Boat Tours Latest Idiocy From Fort Worth's Embarrassing Boondoggle

If I remember right, and sometimes I do, it was via Elsie Hotpepper, last week, that I first learned of the latest embarrassingly bizarre nonsense from the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

More commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Or history's slowest un-needed public works project since the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Nothing with the Boondoggle ever seems to be completed, but new imaginary elements are added, as earlier elements fail.

Such as the obviously doomed to die Cowtown Wakepark, which TRVA Executive Director, J.D. Granger, touted as bringing the coveted sport of wakeboarding to an urban setting. This turned out to be an eyesore of a polluted pond which could only accommodate four wakeboarders at a time. Yet no one apparently intuited the obvious soon to happen fiscal failure.

And now America's Biggest Boondoggle is adding River Boat Tours on the Trinity River.

Someone with the name Anonymous made a comment on last week's blog post about Fort Worth's Panther Island Toxicity, with the comment containing links to two sources of info about this latest aspect of America's Biggest Boondoggle...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fort Worth's Panther Island Remains Toxic While Tacoma Exemplifies Civic Reinvention": 

Formidable Fort Worth will soon offer river boat tours on the Trinity River.

River boat tours coming to Trinity River

Trinity River Cruises

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The first link goes to an informative article about Fort Worth's River Boat tours, whilst the second link goes to an online forum all about Fort Worth architecture (and related subjects, such as River Boat tours).

I have experienced the "insights" of those participating in the Fort Worth Architecture Forum in past years. Seems like at least a decade ago I saw some in that forum participating in sort of complaining about me characterizing the Trinity River Vision as being a Boondoggle. This was even before the slow motion building of three simple little bridges over dry land added one more bizarre element to the ongoing growing Boondoggle.

The informative article about Fort Worth's River Boat tours is in the Fort Worth Business Press. I don't quite know what to make of the FWBP's slant in this article. Did they decide to just leave it to the readers to see the absurdity without pointedly pointing it out?

Who knows?

But, let's go through this article about River boat tours coming to Trinity River and see what we think about what we are reading.

Okay, the first paragraph...

Landlocked Fort Worth may seem an unlikely place for scenic boat tours but that’s about to happen as soon as next month.

Scenic boat tours? Scenic? The Trinity River in Fort Worth only becomes remotely scenic when it leaves the downtown zone and gets to Gateway Park, leaving the levees and dams behind. But that is not where these scenic boat tours are gonna float.

And then this...

Beginning in mid-July, Waco River Safari boat tours will launch Panther Island Boat Tours with several types of river cruises from Panther Island Pavilion north of downtown Fort Worth.

Boat tours? Of what? The imaginary island? Launching from the imaginary pavilion on the imaginary island?  Several types of cruises? Cruises? Seems like only yesterday I joked about wondering how long it was gonna be before J.D. Granger and his Confederacy of Dunces added Cruise Ships to their imaginary lake and canals.

And then this...

Shanna Cate, director of the programming and development for the TRWD, said boat tours offer another opportunity for residents and visitors to interact with the Trinity.

Okay, Shanna Cate is the TRVA employee with whom J.D. Granger conducted an extra marital affair, for years, to the chagrin and disgust of multiple TRVA employees, which is how I came to know of J.D.'s Shanna shenanigans.

In the past year, the TRWD general manager, Jim Oliver, acting like that guy in Casablanca shocked about gambling at Rick's, claimed not to have known of this particular instance of workplace inappropriateness, but that once it was known, Shanna Cate was moved out from under J.D. Granger, well, removed from working directly in the TRVA, with another position created for her as the director of programming and development. Also known as party planner.

And now we see a result of Shanna Cate's new position, programming the development of River Tours cruising on the scenic Trinity River.

On a related Shanna Cate note, I thought she was now Shanna Granger. Or did the nuptials between Cate and Granger not take place on that island in the Caribbean last winter as planned? I have heard no details of that event from my on site source known as Deep Moat, who was planning on attending the nuptials. Or is the newest Mrs. Granger going by her maiden name so as to not make so obvious this latest instance of TRWD nepotism?

And then this gem directly from Shanna Cate, with a level of unbelievable numbskullery similar to her former boss, and possible new husband...

“We’re heard so many requests from people who want to be on the water for a leisurely activity with no swimsuit or paddle required,” Cate said. “This will be a perfect complement to our other river activities.”

Oh yes, that is so totally believable. Many requests from people who want to be on the Trinity River without having to touch that nasty polluted water. Is there a record of these requests? Were they made by phone, email, or direct contact? Oh yes, River Boat tours are an obvious complement to their other river activities.

And what would those be? Other than rockin' the muddy river on inner tubes?

We will combine several paragraphs which detail the nature of these imaginary river cruises, including the River Boat tour cruise fares...

The tours will offer some informational and historic perspective about Fort Worth as well as the opportunity to see downtown and other parts of the city from a different perspective, Helm said. The night tour will focus on city lights, he said. The tours will take passengers along parts of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity. “Experiences are vital for residents to offer their out-of-town guests,” Mitch Whitten, executive vice president of Visit Fort Worth. “We encourage all visitors to stay longer and experience more of Fort Worth. “

“This will offer our residents a whole new way to connect with our waterway and learn more about Fort Worth’s natural surroundings,” Rebecca Montgomery, senior vice president of advocacy for the chamber, said in a statement. “The new cruises will be an unique attraction unlike anything else in the region.”

Helm said the goal is to run as many as 10 tours per day on weekends, provided the river is not at flood level. Hour-long tours will cost $15 for adults, $9 for children and $3 for toddlers. Relaxing, two-hour sunset cruises will cost $39 per person and include the option of a meal for additional cost. BYOB will be available on these cruises.

Oh my, these river boat tours will be offering information and historic perspective about Fort Worth. Will they float by the ruins of America's Biggest Boondoggle? Giving the floaters a look at those unfinished bridges? Oh yes, one can easily see how floating on the Trinity River will be giving people an opportunity for a different perspective on Fort Worth. You know, seeing how tacky the town is from a new angle. When they cruise under the Main Street Paddock Bridge will river boaters be able to see the boarded up Heritage Park eyesore as part of their historic perspective on the Fort Worth reality?

So, floating on the river will connect people with Fort Worth's waterway, which as it slow flows through downtown Fort Worth is pretty much a glorified ditch, with multiple dams slowing the natural flow.

These cruises will be a unique attraction unlike anything else in the region? Well, that is probably true. Is there any other town in the region which would instigate something so stupid? Just like no other town in the region was so stupid as to instigate a wakeboard park, which at the time it was foisted on Fort Worth it was also touted with ridiculous hyperbole, much of it from Shanna Cate's husband, or boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. We just do not know the status of that relationship.

Well, those sure seem like reasonable prices to charge people for the privilege of a river cruise in a scenic wonderland. That night cruise where one gets to see the lights of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, that will likely be a real people pleaser for the town's few tourists.

And let's end with one final gem from Shanna Cates...

Cate said the river cruises are already popular entertainment options in Austin, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

What do popular river cruises in Austin, San Antonio and Oklahoma City have to do with Fort Worth having River Boat tours on a waterway like the Trinity River? I have seen those three other town's water features. Austin has several. San Antonio's is world famous. And Oklahoma City's Bricktown is of a sort Fort Worth aspires to, but is too inept to actualize.

I recollect when I first saw OKC's Bricktown it was still being developed. A HUGE sign touted the bond measure which financed the project. I believe the dollar figure was well over a billion bucks. Imagine that, local voters voting to raise funds to build something the entire community benefits from, and not relying on federal welfare to do so. Or the hiring of an ineptly unqualified local congresswoman's son to run the project, to motivate mom to try and secure federal funds.

Pathetic, pitiful, and sad.

When will this Trinity River Vision madness end? 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Poo Water Warning Makes No Mention Of Trinity River

I saw that which you see here this Saturday morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a pseudo newspaper which ill serves as the Pravda-like propaganda organ for Fort Worth's corrupt ruling oligarchy which rules Fort Worth in what is known as The Fort Worth Way.

In this Going to the beach this summer? Make sure you're not swimming in poo water article we read...

Oil and water. Peanut butter and pickles. Or, a relaxing beach outing and high fecal bacteria readings.

Yuck.

But that’s exactly what some Texas Gulf Coast beach destinations are plagued with as summer approaches, according to a website called Texas Beach Watch.

No mention is made in this article of the fact that the entity known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, in one of its few "accomplishments" in almost two decades of getting little accomplished, has managed to convince Fort Worth locals, apparently starved for something to do, to get wet in the polluted Trinity River in events known as Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats and Funday Sundays.

With those events held when the monitoring of the pollution in the Trinity River indicates an e.col and fecal bacteria level low enough to supposedly make the Trinity River water sufficiently safe.

Those Thursday Rockin' the Polluted River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats should be starting up soon, what with summer soon arriving.

I wonder if now that the TRWD agency which oversees what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, that being the sponsor of those polluted river events, no longer has its one and only watchdog of the public welfare, Mary Kelleher, on board, if those weekly testings of the Trinity River will still take place prior to allowing the River Rockin' to happen...

Before Possible Elsie Hotpepper Lunch Look At Fort Worth's Gateway Park & Trinity River

Today was that last Wednesday of the month, that being the day when I usually return to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone for a variety of reasons, including a perpetual lunch date with Elsie Hotpepper.

On this particular Wednesday I had a couple hours in need of killing, and since I had my bike along I decided to go rolling around Fort Worth's Gateway Park.

We will take a look at what I saw today, sort of in reverse order. I parked near the western Gateway Park boardwalk overlook looking over the Trinity River. We will get to the Gateway Park boardwalk overlook later.

But first, near the end of today's Gateway Park area exploration I found myself atop the last dam which impedes the Trinity River as it flows through Fort Worth. After this dam the river returns to its more natural state as it flow east through Gateway Park on its way to Arlington and then Dallas where the river gets sort of returned to being un-natural again.

As you can see, via the above DANGER sign, it is advised that one not wade, swim or boat in the current state of the Trinity River. Yeah, I'm sure without that sign there would be a lot of people wanting to get wet or float at this location.

On the way down the trail to the dam and that WARNING sign the above additional warning has been added since I last rolled at this location.

"WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN".

Yeah, I imagine before this sign was added a lot of people ventured past this location when the river was in flood mode and met a sad drowning fate. Actually when the river is in flood mode this location is a bit scary and I can not imagine anyone being dumb enough to get near enough to be in danger.

Above, another look at the dam and the Trinity River's current dried up status at this location. This photo was taken part way down the Trinity Trail leading across the dam. You can see that DANGER sign you saw in the first photo in the middle of the dam in the above photo.

Above my handlebars are under the Beach Street Bridge, looking east at that dam we are heading towards, crossing the dried up Trinity River.

The above is new paved trail, accessed via rolling under that aforementioned Beach Street Bridge. This used to be a primitive gravel trail, with the paved Trinity Trail on the other side of the river. Now there are paved trails on both sides of the river. This new paved trail terminates with a return to gravel at the location of the long abandoned original Coyote Drive-In. Or whatever that long ago movie viewing venue was called.

This new paved trail ventures into the zone which I believe the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, has excavated a lot of dirt, moving that dirt to the east side of the Trinity River, and Gateway Park, where it has been piled into a sort of mountain. I believe this excavated area is intended to store water when the Trinity River floods and that flood water is diverted at high speed through The Boondoggle's flood diversion ditch which may one day be dug under the three simple little bridges currently being built in extreme slow motion on dry land, hoping one day to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

I also believe this area I biked through today is the location where J.D. Granger has said his Boondoggle would plant thousands upon thousands of flood impeding magic trees.

I saw no new trees which I could identify as such today.

Speaking of bridges. Today I saw evidence that Fort Worth does know how to build a new bridge.

A new section of the paved trail in Gateway Park took me to the Trinity Trail which is now using the old bridge over the Trinity River as a bike and pedestrian bridge. Above you see my bike stopped in the middle of the old bridge, looking at the new bridge.

That new bridge was built in about a year's time. Built over the actual water of the Trinity River. Water which went into extreme flood mode during the building process. Twice. With one of those times seeing the flood water rise so quickly that heavy equipment had to be abandoned, unable to be moved to dry land before being flooded.

Meanwhile in another area of Fort Worth, under a corrupt Fort Worth congresswoman's son's inept management, three simple little bridges have teetered on ineptly designed V-piers, for years, over dry land.

Early on in today's Gateway Park bike ride I came upon the overlook boardwalk on the east side of the park.

What an improvement over what used to be at this location. Well done.

And look how scenic the Trinity River is at this location. So peaceful. The river almost looks inviting enough to go inner tube floating in it...

Benzene & Arsenic Added To Fort Worth's Trinity River Chemical Stew

As 2017 was drawing to a close we learned Why Fort Worth Has Developed An Identity Crisis.

The City of Fort Worth spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a study studying why corporations did not want to locate their corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, particularly downtown Fort Worth.

It seemed to many that the better question to ask is why is Fort Worth such a backwards backwater, and what can be done to change that fact?

In the weeks following the revelation that Fort Worth has an identity crisis there were a few followup blog posts in which a light was shined on some of the reasons for the Fort Worth backwards backwater malady, such as America's Biggest Boondoggle Roars Into 2018 With Fort Worth Cultural Significance

and

 Star-Telegram Embarrassing Fort Worth Dallas Rivalry Editorial.

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper pointed to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Contaminated groundwater seeping into the Trinity River from this spot needs costly fix, which informs us of yet one more reason corporations are not attracted to locating their headquarters in Fort Worth.

The information in this article is a bit jaw dropping, revealing it has been long known that dangerous, cancer causing chemicals were leaking into the Trinity River. The leaking location is slightly downriver from the location were Fort Worth bizarrely encourages its desperate for water based entertainment citizens to float in the polluted Trinity River during summer season Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, which is yet one more backwards backwater Fort Worth thing which would make a corporation leery about being linked to this town.

And bizarrely, at the end of this Star-Telegram article there is what appears to be some sort of advertisement for floating in the river the article is informing us is flowing with cancer causing toxins. That is a screen cap of this bizarre video advertisement. Look at that and then we will continue on with the rest of this story.

Some choice paragraphs from the contaminated groundwater article for the enlightenment of any corporation considering locating at this location...

It’s been nearly a year since environmental consultants provided the city with a report on the long-known issue of groundwater contamination seeping into the Trinity River at the south end of its Brennan Avenue Service Center, but fixing the issue is not likely to happen anytime soon.

Whenever it does, taxpayers can expect to foot an expensive bill to solve an environmental issue that no one can completely pinpoint the source of or when it started happening. The city’s land was and the surrounding properties have been used by oil refineries for more than a century.

This bill will be on top of the money the city has already spent to remove contaminated soil and leaking oil storage tanks on its property since the 1990s. Groundwater monitoring has been done since, but levels didn’t start exceeding acceptable regulated levels until a few years ago, triggering this latest review.

The cancer-causing contaminates apparently are not all coming from the city’s property, but are believed to also be seeping into the groundwater from adjacent and nearby properties that over years housed tank farms for oil refineries and other industries, some that date to the early 1900s.

Benzene and arsenic contamination from leaking tanks on the city-owned property was discovered several years ago. In 1991, soil and underground tanks were removed and the issue cleared from the city’s property. However, from August 2013 to December 2015, benzene, arsenic and other chemicals were detected in most of the 21 monitoring wells in the area.

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Now Fort Worth's happy river floaters will have to consider that, in addition to the e.coli and alligators, you might also be floating with benzene and arsenic.

Multiple entities commented on the contamination. Three of those comments...

Steve Crow
Wouldn't you think this would be the first thing you'd clean up before starting the Trinity River Project?

Michelle Love ·
Tarrant County College
Gee, the only info missing from this story is an assessment of the health hazards to the public who use the Trinity River.

Safety on North Sylvania Avenue
Despite knowing this, the Trinity is being stocked with fish for people to catch and events are held that encourage people to get in the river? Sure doesn’t sound safe.

_____________________

Yeah, wouldn't you think cleaning up a seriously polluted river would be what you would do before re-engineering the river with an ill-fated economic development scheme designed to line the pockets of those who own property whose value would be enhanced if the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision ever became something someone could see?

What has become known as America's Biggest Boondoggle began boondoggling along way back in 2002. In 2005 Kay Granger's unqualified son, J.D., was plucked from his job as an assistant attorney of some sort, to be the Executive Director of what was then called the Trinity River Vision Authority. At that point in time, 2005, Kay's boy was paid around $100,000.00 a year. We all recently learned J.D. has been getting large yearly raises for a job not well done, and now makes around $200,000.00 a year, for mis-directing a project in slow motion, year after year after year.

Is this Trinity River contamination zone in the area being messed up by the Boondoggle? Is it on the imaginary island? Or downstream from the chunk of land which the Boondoggle is trying to connect Fort Worth's mainland to with three simple little bridges built over dry land with a construction timeline longer than it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge and dig the Panama Canal, with both those engineering feats involving actual, real water?

Years ago I remember opining that if bulldozers ever began scraping the dirt on that imaginary island it would likely turn into an EPA Super Fund site after bad things, long buried, were uncovered...

Why Is There No Vision To Clean Up The Polluted Trinity River?

Yesterday, or the day before, I blogged about cities in America and the world, other than Fort Worth, which were having success with cleaning up their blighted rivers.

On a related subject I also blogged about Fort Worth's Trinity River's E. Coli and dead bodies pollution problem.

In a conversation with a Wichita Faller I recently found myself discussing how backwards Fort Worth was compared to Wichita Falls, and other modern American cities, in so many ways.

Such as, why, in Fort Worth, is there no effort to clean up the various polluted waterways? The main one being the Trinity River, along with waterways like Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park. It's not as if no other towns have cleaned up their waterways, hence Fort Worth having no examples of doing the same such thing.

New York City, for example.

The NYC blurb in the wired.com article about seven cities which turned their rivers from blight to beauty....

New York’s once ridiculously-polluted East River and Hudson waterfronts were long considered great places… to dump bodies. After transforming the banks on all sides over the last two decades with riverfront parks and paths, the city is further reimagining them through several new initiatives, including BIG’s Big U, a 10-mile-long protective system of landscaping and barriers around Manhattan that double as public space. But the most ambitious foray into the water itself is Family’s Plus Pool, a plus-shaped structure floating in the East River, filtering river water for swimming through a three-level purifying system. Final site selection is set to be announced later this year, and completion is set for 2019. Cities around the world are now shouting for similar facilities.

Fort Worth has been shuffling along for about the same amount of time it took New York City to transform the Hudson and East Rivers, with Fort Worth's embarrassing badly managed Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision having little to show for the multi-year effort.

Instead of a warped vision encouraging people to get wet in the E. coli alligator infested Trinity River why not focus instead on cleaning up that pitiful river?

Look what New York City is doing, installing a floating swimming pool type structure on the East River, filtering the water to make it totally safe to swim in.

One of America's Biggest Boondoggle's, early on, obvious to fail absurdities, was Cowtown Wakepark. Described by Fort Worth's favorite son, J.D. Granger, as being a world class state of the art facility which would bring the coveted sport of wakeboarding to the people of Fort Worth, who, apparently, in J.D.'s frat boy arrested development mind, longed for such.

Cowtown Wakepark is now a ghost town, worse than the stalled ghost town where once The Boondoggle celebrated the start of bridge construction with a TNT explosion and a lot of hot propaganda air.

Now, the pond The Boondoggle built for Cowtown Wakepark had an obvious flaw, in that it was so close to the Trinity River that the pond and that which surrounded the pond got flooded whenever the Trinity River ran extra water. Why did none of the useless idiots in charge of America's Biggest Boondoggle not realize this would be a problem?

Might there be a way to turn the Cowtown Wakepark pond into safe clean water, using some version of that system NYC is using to make a floating swimming pool in the East River? And somehow make this impervious to floods? And a safe place to be Rockin' the River whilst floating on inner tubes drinking beer?

Fort Worth, and Texans in general, seem way too comfortable with polluting their waterways.

Irresponsible fracking comes to mind.

In my old home state, decades ago, various waterways had become terribly polluted. Salmon no longer returned to Lake Washington. Various lakes were no longer safe to swim in. The pollution levels in the various rivers which drained into Puget Sound were polluting Puget Sound, having dire effects on the health of the Sound and its sea life.

So, what did the people of well educated, progressive Western Washington do? The various counties passed bond issues that brought about new water treatment plants, raising the treatment level to what is known as tertiary treatment. King, Pierce and Snohomish County passed what was called Forward Thrust, with the people voting to spend a lot of money on various projects that would clean up the water, and do things like upgrade Pike Place, the Woodland Park Zoo. Oh, and build the Kingdome. Among other items.

The result.

Salmon long ago returned to Lake Washington which has been safe to swim in for decades now, along with the other Western Washington lakes. Puget Sound is healthy. A crystal clear level of clean water. I remember in late July of 2008, walking along the beach at Point Defiance in Tacoma, astonished at how clear the water was. I remember thinking what a contrast with what I see in the area of Texas I live in.

I make that "area of Texas I live in" caveat because some of the clearest water I have ever seen has been in Texas. Aquarena Springs in San Marcos comes to mind.

If Western Washington could clean up its rivers and lakes, why can't North Texas? I do not get how people can tolerate their town having a river run through it which regularly hosts too much E. coli, while an idiotic pseudo public works project encourages people to get in that polluted water under the pretense they are participating in really special floating music events at a unique special music venue, which is actually quite mundane and the fact of the matter is there are few towns in the world, so backwards, that the town's officials would promote such unhealthy behavior in such an unseemly location.

I guess Fort Worth can take some solace in the fact that the town has something in common with Rio de Janerio. As in, water one is advised not to touch. However, there is a snowballs chance in hell that Fort Worth could ever be picked to host an Olympics.

Hosting America's Biggest Boondoggle will likely continue to be Fort Worth's claim to fame for the near future...

Boondoggle's River Rockin' Sinks With Too Much E. Coli & Dead Bodies In The Trinity

I first saw that which you see here last night via Layla Caraway on Facebook.

I was more than a little surprised to see this because that sure looks like Ms. Caraway in the upper middle of the photo, floating in the Trinity River at the notorious location oddly named Panther Island Pavilion, where there is no island or pavilion.

The Facebook post linked to a Star-Telegram E. coli found in Trinity River at Panther Island Pavilion article.

Apparently the TRWD takes a water sample every Tuesday, with the results coming in on Thursday, which is the day of America's Biggest Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Inner Tubing Happy Hour in Fort Worth's favorite polluted river.

This week's test found the E. coli level HUGELY elevated, far above the level considered safe by TCEQ, or any sane human.

Now, what I wonder, and what seems so obvious to me, with this testing done only once a week, with the possibility of the E. coli levels spiking so dangerously, what if the water sampled on Tuesday was a pure as the water in a civilized location on the planet, but by Thursday's Rockin' the River the level spikes to the 1,700 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters level it spiked to on Tuesday?

How can anyone suggest it is safe to get wet in the Trinity River without testing taking place simultaneous to the time when The Boondoggle schedules one of its ill-conceived water events?

The Star-Telegram article neglects informing its few readers that in addition to way too much E. coli being in the Trinity River, this week three bodies were also fished out of the river.

The last paragraph of the article tells us that The Boondoggle's Sunday Funday family friendly tubing, kayaking, canoeing and boating at Panther Island is still scheduled.

Scheduled two days before the next scheduled water quality test? What sort of responsible parental figure would consider this to be an appropriate family event to take ones kids to?

I can't be the only person who has observed the fiasco that has become America's Biggest Boondoggle who thinks it is time to pull the plug.

And get that plug pulled before someone gets hurt. Fort Worth seldom does anything or has anything happen with garners national, let alone international attention.

I really don't want to see Fort Worth known as the town where hundreds of people were sickened by E. coli, or worse. Can you imagine the world's media coming to town, with J.D. Granger trying to explain why he helped instigate getting people floating and drinking beer in a dangerously polluted river, known to be one of the most polluted in Texas, and America?

Is Fort Worth A City Transforming Its River From Blight To Beauty?

A couple days ago someone named Anonymous made an anonymous comment to a blogging about the latest embarrassingly stupid propaganda from America's Biggest Boondoggle, now officially known, supposedly, as the Panther Island District.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Imaginary Fun Phase Begins For Fort Worth's Entertainment Boondoggle":

Somehow Fort Worth didn't make the list.

7 Cities Transforming their Rivers from Blights to Beauties

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Somehow Fort Worth did not make the list, but, Oklahoma City did, as did a Texas town named San Antonio. But no mention made of Fort Worth, with its river boondoggle mired in inept mediocrity (and too much e.coli) with its ill considered attempt to turn the Trinity River into a lake with canals and imaginary islands. A project which has been ambling along in slow motion since soon after the start of the new century.

Meanwhile, other towns in America, and the world, have actually transformed their town's rivers from blights to beauties.

However, in Fort Worth, after all these years, the Trinity River is still the same polluted river it was back when the Trinity River Vision was first foisted on the unsuspecting Fort Worth public, years before it became an imaginary island named after an imaginary panther.

The seven cities which have turned their blighted rivers into beauties are Chicago, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Medellin, Columbia, New York City, San Antonio and Los Angeles.

The transformation of Oklahoma City's river is quite impressive. I have been impressed with Oklahoma City each time I have visited. I recollect being in OKC soon after Fort Worth's Trinity Uptown project was announced. OKC had this development underway called Bricktown. There were signs telling of the funding mechanism, based on a bond issue which was the result of a vote. I remember thinking, wow, Oklahoma City is a much more advanced American city than pathetic Fort Worth. That was well over 15 years ago.

The blurb about Oklahoma City's river revival in the Blight to Beauty article...

In the 1920s and 30s, the US Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the North Canadian River around downtown Oklahoma City, to avoid flooding. The result was a marshy watercourse that locals liked to joke about mowing instead of rowing. A $53-million project completed in 2004 rejuvenated the stretch, creating the seven-mile, dam-controlled body of water whose name was then changed to the Oklahoma River. Since then, a one-cent sales tax initiative has funded additional enhancements to the river and its surrounding Boathouse District. Master planned by local architecture firm Rand Elliot + Associates, the area includes walkways, performance spaces, shopping, and angular glass and steel boathouses. The newest feature, an 11-acre whitewater kayaking and rafting site known as RiverSports Rapids, opened this spring.

Of the seven cities profiled the only one not in America is Medellin, Columbia. That's in South America, for you who skipped geography class. Being in South America, and with Columbia being a third world country, this town most closely matches Fort Worth, development wise, both politically and economically.

The blurb about Medellin's river renewal...

Medellin, a once broken city that has already reinvented itself through innovative urban projects like parks, squares, an aerial tram, and a green belt, is now completely rethinking its river. Like so many others, that waterway was channeled in concrete in the 1950s, a highway built right next to it. But now, following a competition-winning plan by Latitude, Workshop of Architecture and City, the city is burying a 1,300-foot-long stretch of that highway and building a park (Parques del Rio Medellin) on top, providing recreation and re-connecting the river to the rest of the city.

Okay, maybe Medellin is not as much of a third world type city as Fort Worth is, what with Medellin having successfully reinvented itself through multiple progressive projects, whilst Fort Worth really has not ever reached the stage where reinvention is a possibility.

I wonder if Medellin has indoor plumbing in its urban parks projects, or if it follows the Fort Worth third world type reliance on multiple outhouses?

Fort Worth is a town which finally installed a square in its downtown after decades of pointing the town's few tourists to a non-existent Sundance Square.

Maybe Fort Worth could send some sort of task force to Medellin, Columbia to try and learn how that town manages to get projects done without becoming an embarrassing boondoggle.

I suspect that that Fort Worth task force, upon inspecting how things get done in Medellin, will learn that Medellin's successful projects did not employ the unqualified son of a corrupt local politician, even though that is a third world type cliche....

Polluted Public River Floating Is One Of Fort Worth's Great Imaginary Success Stories

That which you see here is not a guy fishing in a dirty brown river.

What you see here is a guy testing water in a dirty brown river near the location of the notorious Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at an imaginary pavilion at an imaginary island in the great success story known as Fort Worth.

The photo of the guy testing the Trinity was part of a Bud Kennedy article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I came to be looking at this July 1 Star-Telegram article after someone named Anonymous  made an anonymous  blog comment...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Are America's Biggest Boondoggle's Bridges Dust In The Wind":

You might have missed this gem from the bloated face of Fort Worth journalism:

Here’s the straight poop on that muck in the Trinity last week

The river’s makeover into a busy downtown tubing-kayaking attraction is one of Fort Worth’s great success stories.

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Now, that is just rude to refer to Bud Kennedy as the bloated face of Fort Worth journalism.

I agree with Bud Kennedy more often than I don't.

But, sometimes I don't understand how Bud Kennedy can type with a straight face some of which he types. I always assume he knows what he is typing is ridiculous and internally giggles. Or that he is just a big fan of creating ridiculous propaganda.

"The river’s makeover into a busy downtown tubing-kayaking attraction is one of Fort Worth’s great success stories."

A river makeover? Nothing has been done to that river that anyone would call a makeover. Some sand has been sprinkled to create a pseudo beach, and a couple outhouses have been installed on the south side of what is bizarrely called Panther Island Pavilion. Where there is no pavilion. But there is a small covered stage on the north side of the river.

A busy downtown tubing-kaying attraction?

Attraction? Busy?

Are you attracted to that attraction? I know I never have been, nor has anyone I've talked to. I've long opined that it is a sad indicator, and should be viewed as such, that Fort Worth is badly lacking in the outdoor water sport venues department. Thus so many people willing to get wet in that dirty river at that location.

Has Bud Kennedy partaken of the tubing-kayaking attraction? I know he likes to participate in local events.

And finally, the river's imaginary makeover is "one of Fort Worth's great success stories."?

One of Fort Worth's great success stories? I'm really not trying to be unduly snarky here, but I really can not come up with a single Fort Worth success story. And can not imagine characterizing those sad river floating events at that imaginary island as a success.

Really, I'm serious here, I can not think of anything that I might characterize as a great Fort Worth success story.

Having the #1 tourist attraction in Texas, via the Cabela's sporting goods store? Is that one of Fort Worth's great success stories? Nope. That one did not work out, despite the Star-Telegram, and especially Bud Kennedy's, touting it as such.

Having more wells fracked than another other city in the world? Is that one of Fort Worth's great success stories?

Having more outhouses in its city parks than any other big city in America, is that one of Fort Worth's great success stories?

Having fewer streets with sidewalks than any other big city in America, is that one of Fort Worth's great success stories?

Please, someone help me out here, what in the world could Bud Kennedy be referring to when he refers to Fort Worth's great success stories?

Read all of Bud Kennedy's Here’s the straight poop on that muck in the Trinity last week piece and see how many ridiculously absurd propaganda items you can find.

Of course the polluted river floating being one of Fort Worth's great success stories is my favorite Orwellian bit of propaganda.

Another gem is this paragraph....

Panther Island is one of the cleanest parts of the river. It has been safe to swim, tube, raft or boat there most of the past year, but only boating or rafting is allowed along the Clear Fork stretch near Trinity Park or near South University Drive.

The embarrassing Panther Island nomenclature really needs to be put to rest.

What does that "Panther Island is one of the cleanest parts of the river" statement even purport to mean?

The chunk of land The Boondoggle identifies as Panther Island is dry land. The Trinity River is not nicknamed "Panther Island".

Or did I miss that memo?

Trinity River E. Coli Levels Too High Near Imaginary Island

Why would any sane city have regularly scheduled events in water which requires regular testing to determine if the water is safe enough to get wet in?

The fact that Fort Worth has regularly scheduled floating beer parties in the Trinity River is just one among many reasons why I came to refer to this town as Sick City, after years of observing this Sick City up close.

And why do the people of Fort Worth go along with the ridiculous Panther Island labeling? There is no island. There never will be an island, not by any rational definition of that which constitutes an island.

Mislabeling is a Fort Worth forte. Sundance Square comes to mind. Where for decades the few tourists who toured downtown Fort Worth found themselves perplexed by signs pointing to Sundance Square, where there was no square.

If the City of Fort Worth is so determined to have a water venue for its people to float in that the town is willing to use a polluted river to do so, how about a civic effort to make an actual clean water venue for such events?

For instance, the pond which America's Biggest Boondoggle dug for the defunct Cowtown Wakepark. Could not such a pond be built with a filtering system keeping the water fit for humans to float in?

And is it not an indicator that Fort Worth is sadly lacking in outdoor activity opportunities if so many of the Sick City's citizens eagerly go floating with feces?

And another thing with this testing of the Trinity. Does it not seem logical that the level of e. coli ebbs up and down? As in a plume of extra polluted water flows on by, then a few minutes later a test sample gets taken, followed a few minutes later by another plume of extra polluted water?

Why would anyone in their right mind trust that the Trinity River is ever safe and free of pathogens?

Was Proper Trinity Testing Done Before Thursday's Rockin' The Sewage Happy Hour?

I think I have already mentioned earlier this week that a raw sewage carrying pipeline burst, sending a flood of untreated water into a creek which flows into the Trinity River a short distance upstream from the downtown Fort Worth location where America's Biggest Boondoggle hosts Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at an imaginary pavilion near an imaginary island.

Spokesman for The Boondoggle claimed the raw sewage had been contained prior to posing a threat to the Trinity River and to those choosing to float in that dirty river. It was also claimed that testing indicated the water was safe, with that testing taking place prior to The Boondoggle's inaugural floating beer party of the year.

Well.

In an article this morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, titled Fort Worth pumps water out of Mary’s Creek after sewage spill we learn....

On Thursday, the city was collecting samples from the creek and from the Trinity River, which connects to the creek just west of Southwest Boulevard/Texas 183, Gugliuzza said.

The samples’ bacteria levels will be tested, and the results won’t be ready for a day or two, Gugliuzza said. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was notified Wednesday.

People “definitely” need to stay out of the creek until further notice, Gugliuzza said.

The spill was not expected to affect drinking water, authorities said, but residents with private water wells within a half-mile of the spill site should boil or distill water before using it until further notice.

So, the Star-Telegram is reporting that on Thursday samples were collected from the Trinity River, to be tested, with those test results ready in a day or two.

So, how was it The Boondoggle was able to claim testing indicated the Trinity River water was free of dangerous pathogens, and thus safe to float in, that same Thursday the samples were taken, if the results of the testing were not available for a day or two after the scheduled floating beer party?

Like I think I have mentioned before, something just ain't right about Fort Worth.

It's like the town has the backwards mentality of an undeveloped small Southern town of a few thousand, instead of the mentality of a modern city of around 800,000.

Fort Worth is definitely the most un-sanitary town in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex mess. Fort Worth is the only town in the D/FW zone with multiple city parks with no running water and no modern restroom facilities of the non-outhouse variety.

A town being okay with having parks without modern restrooms, without a place to wash ones hands after using an outhouse, fits right in with a town having a mentality that it is okay to sponsor a water event in river water downstream from a raw sewage spill.

Now, I do not generalize to suggest that all the citizens of Fort Worth are okay with having their city parks so far behind modern times. Or having floating parties in the Trinity River. I am sure the majority of Fort Worth citizens would like to see their town modernized to a level at least matching other towns in their shared metropolitan zone.

Modernized like Haltom City, Keller, Watauga, North Richland Hills, Arlington, Grapevine, Dallas, well you get the drift.

Just this past Wednesday I enjoyed a pleasant picnic, under a shelter at Capp Smith Park in Watauga. The covered picnic area was connected to a modern restroom. Drinking fountains and running water were also near the covered picnic shelter.

What a concept.

I can not imagine a 21st century American city, other than Fort Worth, hosting embarrassing floating beer parties, with music, in water commonly believed to be dirty and polluted, let alone hosting such a thing after a big raw sewage spill  occurred a short distance upstream.

Fort Worth is badly led by bad leaders. I don't know why this is the case, but it is. No other large American city opened itself up to being poked by thousands of holes in the ground to be fracked with pollutants, along with other associated post poking pollutants damaging the life quality of its citizens.

It is a bit symbolic of Fort Worth's backwardness that at the site of the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats you will also find no modern restrooms. Just a couple outhouses encased in cement enclosures. Methinks most modern American town's sense of civic pride would have the people of that town feeling a bit embarrassed to have permanent outhouses installed at what The Boondoggle propaganda claims is the premiere urban waterfront music venue in Texas.

I know, gag worthy and again embarrassing.

Fort Worth can and should and deserves to do better. The Good Ol' Boy and Girl Network, also known as the 7th Street Gang, needs to get the boot, with Fort Worth getting replacement leadership which truly represents all the people of Fort Worth, improving all areas of the city for all the people of the city.

As it is, Fort Worth just keeps falling further and further behind the rest of America, and its own suburbs.

Like I said, embarrassing....

Wide Open Country Thinks The Trinity River One Of Best Texas Places To Float

This morning on Facebook I saw a post from a website called Wide Open Country with a link to the 7 Best Places to go Floating in Texas.

Among the multiple Facebookers making comments about the best places to go floating in Texas was the following....

Reis Gladson You couldn't pay me to get in the Trinity River!! The rest of them are clean and spring fed.

After reading the above comment I clicked on the link to the website, thinking to myself that there is no way that any sort of respectable publication would tell its readers that floating in the Trinity River was a good thing to be doing. Let alone publicize America's Biggest Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

Well, I thought wrong.

The Boondoggle's floating beer parties are number 6 on the list, as you can see above.

I hope this article's suggestion that floating in the Trinity River is a good thing to be doing doesn't cause some innocent tourist to come to the D/FW zone expecting to have a crystal clear river water experience such as can be had in the other Texas rivers on this list of seven.

Village Creek Was In Flood Mode So I Visited The Trinity River Flooding At River Legacy Park

A year ago, on a Saturday, I would likely have gone hiking the Tandy Hills, or biking Gateway Park, followed by some Town Talk treasure hunting.

Today is Saturday and hiking the Tandy Hills, biking Gateway Park or treasure hunting at Town Talk did not cross my mind.

The hiking or biking would not be doable at either location today due to the recent deluging.

And I have sort of given up on going to Town Talk, what with the treasure hunting turning not so fruitful after a new owner took over.

I have myself a mighty fine time swimming this morning. By the noon time frame I felt like doing some jogging. I figured the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area might like some company.

That and I needed to go to ALDI.

Well, I got to the VCHNA entry to see the CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING gate blocking entry. I thought that might be the case today, what with that aforementioned recent deluging.

So, I decided to head further east in Arlington, to River Legacy Park, where I found a lot of water creating obstacles and a lot of people making their way around the water obstacles.

Above, that would be the high water of the Trinity River you see behind me. The river level appeared to be rising. I thought this due to seeing no muddy signs of it having retreated from a high mark.

Years ago I biked to the far east end of the River Legacy Park paved trail with the river unexpectedly rapidly rising. By the time I got back to the final bridge crossing, the river had flooded about six inches over the bridge deck. Park workers had blocked entry to the bridge at the exit end.  I told them there were a few people behind me. I asked if it seemed a good idea for me to pedal back and tell them to hurry. I was told that would probably be a good idea. And so I did so.

I wonder if there was anything good to be found at Town Talk today. I think my final straw with Town Talk was when I bought three cases of what I thought was yogurt. Each with coconut. Like peach coconut yogurt, strawberry coconut yogurt, blackberry coconut yogurt. I like coconut and thought this would be some tasty yogurt.

Turns out it was pseudo yogurt made out of coconut milk! Pretty much inedible and thick as a brick, and not in a good Greek yogurt thick way.

Taking A Look At TRWD Document With Results Of E.Coli PIP Water Testing

Earlier today I blogged about some fresh PIP nonsense from America's Biggest Boondoggle.

After that someone named Anonymous made the following comment...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "PIP Declares No E.Coli To Worry About While Rockin' The Trinity River In Fort Worth":

Take a look at a TRWD document documenting the results of e.coli testing at the confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity.

If the boondoggle is going to encourage swimming at PIP, they should be testing every day, just like a public pool. Take a look at the Long-Term Average graph. It's flirting with the "acceptable for swimming" limit. 

Looking at this TRWD chart it would appear that on any given day one might find oneself floating in the Trinity River in the PIP zone with an e.coli level above what TCEQ considers safe. And, like Anonymous suggests, the only way to be certain one is not floating with too much feces would be for the water to be tested daily.

Is the PIP squeak's spokesman still claiming the water the Rockin' the River floaters float in is no different than that which comes out of Fort Worth's taps?

PIP Declares No E.Coli To Worry About While Rockin' The Trinity River In Fort Worth

Incoming from Elsie Hotpepper.

I believe this is an iPhone  screen cap of some Facebook postings, from the Panther Island Pavilion Facebook page.

That would make this a Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision product.

If you are new to Fort Worth and wondering what Panther Island Pavilion is, well, it is sort of hard to explain. Basically it is an imaginary pavilion on an imaginary island where people float in an imaginary pollution-free river while drinking beer and listening to music.

The message from Elsie Hotpepper accompanying the screen cap....

Cut and paste is all they do...and again if that deadly levels of E. coli test was wrong, what about all the tests that said the E. coli was at a safe level? Isn't it more than likely it is those tests that came up with wrong results? Are they actually trying to claim that the Trinity River does not have an E. coli contamination problem?

Well, Elsie, you must remember  the spokesman for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle also claimed the water the Rockin' the River floaters float in was no different than the drinking water that flows from Fort Worth taps.

Which sounds to me to be a good reason to buy bottled water, if it were true that the water the floaters float in while Rockin' the River is the same quality level as Fort Worth drinking water.

Does it only occur to me that it is a rather sad reflection of the shortage of fun things to do in Fort Worth that so many people think they are having themselves a mighty fine time floating in a polluted river while drinking beer and listening to music coming from an imaginary pavilion on an imaginary island?

What Living In Fort Worth Is Really Like Floating The Day Away At Pavilion Island With E. Coli

This morning when I checked in on Facebook I found a message from Elsie Hotpepper, with Elsie saying OMG, which I think means Oh My Goodness.

The thing that Elsie Hotpepper was OMGing about became clear when I clicked on the link which followed the OMG, that being What Living In Fort Worth Is Really Like - cowboys, culture, and a tubing trip down the Trinity River.

The link went to what I think is some sort of real estate website, selling Fort Worth houses, and touting Fort Worth with delusional propaganda that would make the local chamber of commerce proud.

Pavilion Island? Getting that name wrong is indicative of the quality level of the research which went into creating this work of propaganda art.

Below are three of the propaganda paragraphs....

As the fifth largest city in Texas, there’s nothing small about Fort Worth—except for the vibe. With an emphasis on neighborhoods and close-knit community, it’s no wonder that Fort Worth has been named as one of America’s Most Liveable Communities multiple times by the National Civic League.

It goes by the names Panther City, Queen City, Cowtown, Funky Town, and Fort Wizard. Call it whatever you relate to the most, as long as it’s not Dallas. Fort Worth is the city where people from cities like Dallas and Austin turn to when they grow sick of their own. They might share an airport, but that’s about all these two cities have in common. This is a southwestern city with pride in its roots and it’s not trying to be anything else, unlike some places.

Grab a tube with one hand and a beer with the other. You’re about to have a day full of fun, Fort Worth style. Panther Pavilion Island is one of Fort Worth’s most popular spots and definitely one of the coolest. Whether you enjoy the relaxation of tubing or the excitement of kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding, you can do it all here. But come during the Rockin’ River events for the real excitement when all of Fort Worth shows up to party with you in the company of some great live bands.

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Rockin' River events? It's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube events.

And the name America's Biggest Boondoggle gives to its imaginary pavilion on an imaginary island is Panther Island  Pavilion. Not Panther Pavilion Island.

Fort Worth is known as Fort Wizard? People from Dallas and Austin turn to Fort Worth when they get sick of  Dallas and Austin?

It's no wonder Fort Worth has been named one of America's Most Livable Communities multiple times? Actually it is a wonder, because this has not happened multiple times. It happened one time, when a Washington D.C. lobbying group put Fort Worth on a list of towns which supposedly had America's most livable urban villages. (note: it is livable, not liveable. Spelling matters, even in propaganda pieces)

Fort Worth had a city-wide celebration to celebrate this meaningless award.

Tacoma was one of the towns which got this meaningless award. At that point in time I met Tacoma's Deputy Mayor. I asked him if Tacoma had a city-wide celebration when they got that award. He said "No, we thanked them politely and that was the end of it."

I then told the Deputy Mayor that Fort Worth had a city-wide celebration for being on that list.

"You are making that up," the Deputy Mayor said accusingly.

"Nope. It's true. A city-wide celebration," said I.

That third paragraph, the one that mention Rockin' River events, is the most bizarre, telling people to grab a tube and a beer to spend a day Fort Worth style in one of Fort Worth's most popular and cool spots, the Trinity River, for real excitement when all of Fort Worth shows up to party with you.

No mention made in this article about Rockin' the Trinity River being shut down due to e.coli levels so high that the river was dangerous to public health....

Rockin' The River Flushed Due To Too Much Toilet Water In Fort Worth's Trinity River

This morning's quick check of the front page of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram informed me of that which you see here.

That being that testing the Trinity River water on Thursday, that being the day of the week when America's Biggest Boondoggle sponsors a bizarre event called Rockin' the River, where hundreds of clueless fools are enticed to get in one of America's most polluted rivers to drink beer and listen to music, well that testing indicated that there was way too much fecal matter in the river, rendering it unsafe for swimming and tubing.

Do the clueless now understand that there has always been e.coli fecal matter in the water with them while they were Rockin' the River? That on any given day the level of e.coli could reach a level considered to be unsafe?

When I logged into Facebook this morning I found I was being tagged on this subject.

One of those taggers was Elsie Hotpepper....

Thanks to Mary Kelleher, at least they test the 'crap' now. I can't wait to see what Durango Jones has to say...

And then Mr. Spiffy had this to say....

Hello, Sunday Funday Trinity Innertubers! Please take note of the following announcement: You've been floating in poop water all summer. Sorry 'bout that. Now, here's some fun local country music band! Enjoy! - Yours truly, TRWD

Well, Ms. Hotpepper, Durango Jones does not have much more to say about this subject than he has already said.

One of the many things that crosses my mind regarding this is the fact that this is one more example of how Fort Worth suffers from not having a real newspaper.

A real newspaper would have been all over the absurdity of the Trinity River Vision getting into things like sponsoring drinking parties in the polluted Trinity River.

A real newspaper would have addressed the ridiculousness of the Panther Island nomenclature, pointing out there is no island. Pointing out there is no pavilion on the imaginary island.

Instead, the Star-Telegram goes along with The Boondoggle's nonsense, even when reporting a story with the headline "E. coli found in Trinity River at Panther Island Pavilion".

Would any legitimate newspaper in America go along with the Panther Island Pavilion con job?

A legitimate newspaper long ago would have been all over the scandal that is America's Biggest Boondoggle.

A legitimate newspaper would have long ago focused intense scrutiny on the hiring of Kay Granger's unqualified son to run what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

A legitimate newspaper would have been all over looking at how America's Biggest Boondoggle has accomplished so little in well over a decade, and has devolved into sponsoring absurd floating beer parties in the polluted with fecal matter Trinity River.

Rockin' the River needs  to be permanently cancelled as a first step towards bringing some level of adult supervision to the Trinity River Vision.

Oh, and J.D. Granger needs to be fired......

Wondering Why So Many Fort Worth Locals Think Tubing Polluted Water With Gators Is Fun

A few minutes ago I found myself Googling for images of America's Biggest Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats to find myself surprised to find a lot of the images were from this very blog you are looking at right now, including the Pigs in the Trinity image you see here.

The Pigs in the Trinity were from a blogging titled Elsie Hotpepper's Artist's Rendering Of Rockin' The Trinity River With Pigs from way back on August 7, 2013. No wonder I didn't remember it, that's a long time ago.

The reason I was looking for a Rockin' the River image for illustrative purposes came about due to a conversation I had recently with a fellow transplant from the Pacific Northwest, during which the fellow transplant asked me why I thought the locals here turn out in such big numbers for things like Rockin' the Polluted River and Funday Sundays in the same polluted river? And in large numbers to do something rather, I don't know, un-fun looking, like that Slide the City deal a few weeks ago.

Well, I gave this question some thought. And what I concluded is there are not enough fun things to do in Fort Worth of the playing in water type fun.

The only other big city, with which I am familiar, is Seattle. I may have mentioned that before.

I can say with 100% certainty that if Seattle had a polluted river running through the town, which it doesn't, but if it did, there is no way you could get 100s of people to get in that dirty water to float on inner tubes and listen to music.

Why?

Because, unlike Fort Worth, Seattle has multiple venues where the public can enjoy being on a beach and get themselves wet in clean water.

Such as Green Lake, a lake several times bigger than America's Biggest Boondoggle's proposed Pond Granger. Green Lake has a big swimming area. With lifeguards. An actual pavilion. And now that you're making me think about it, an actual island. Green Lake is surrounded by a wide jogging, biking, blading paved trail with designated lanes and directions.

On Elliott Bay there is Alki Beach, miles of beach with beach amenities, like running water and modern restrooms. And on a warm day you can have fun playing in the waves or swimming. If you are like me and like cold water.

Near the Ballard Locks you'll find another beach at Golden Gardens Park. You saw that beach if you watched Sleepless in Seattle.

In Seattle Lake Washington also has several parks with beaches allowing for warmer swimming, in summer, than getting wet in Puget Sound. Such as Madison Park and Denny Blaine Park, which can be topless and clothing optional, at times.

Now, isn't it interesting I found so many links to Wikipedia articles about these various Seattle beaches and attractions? How many Wikipedia articles do you find when you Google for such things located in Fort Worth?

NONE. ZIP. ZERO. NADA.

Hence why hundreds upon hundreds of people will show up for something as unappealing as America's Biggest Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in a dirty, turtle, snake and gator infested river and think they are having themselves a mighty fine time, because a mighty fine time is hard to find, of the water sport sort, in Fort Worth.

Something needs to be done about this. The fact that so many people are getting in that dirty river is a symptom of something amiss that needs to be addressed. There used to be something called Casino Beach on Lake Worth. Could that be revived and turned into a legit swimming beach?

I have been told that long ago, in Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park, swimming and boating was allowed. Fosdick Lake is rather small. But small is better than nothing. With a little effort could not Fosdick Lake be restored to a non-polluted state and made beach and fish friendly?

Fort Worth needs to do something. That seems obvious, with the symptom of something being dire wrong being the fact that so many think it is a fun thing to go floating in a murky, dirty, polluted river.

While drinking beer and listening to music.

And now featuring alligators.....

The Trinity Continues To Rise With Inadequate Levees Threatening Downtown Dallas

I saw that which you see here a few minutes ago on Facebook, via Elsie Hotpepper.

Apparently downtown Dallas is in danger as the Trinity continues to rise, straining levees which long ago were deemed inadequate to handle a massive flood.

I have never been in Dallas when the Trinity is running a lot of water. I've only see it when the big flood plain is dry with a little thing that looks like a ditch running through the flood plain.

That little ditch in the flood plain is currently a gigantic Lake Dallas.

Elsie Hotpepper asks a good question. As in "Does Dallas not know they are downstream??"

As the Trinity passes downtown Fort Worth the Clear Fork and West Fork join together and make a bigger river as the water continues its journey east. By the time the river gets to Dallas the East Fork and Elm Fork join Clear and West to make one unified river.

Currently one big unified river  threatening one big town's downtown with getting the New Orleans Katrina treatment.

I don't quite understand how breeched levees could threaten downtown Dallas with catastrophic flooding.

But that is what I am hearing.

Then again, like I've already suggested, when I've been in downtown Dallas I have never had any awareness of where the river was, unlike downtown Fort Worth where the river is quite noticeable, all the time, not just during those times when hundreds of dementos are having themselves a mighty fine time floating in the river, drinking beer and listening to music at an imaginary pavilion by an imaginary island at an imaginary world class water front music venue.

I sure hope the Dallas levees hold. I have seen what happens when a dike breaks during a flood. It ain't pretty.

UPDATE: From the Dallas Morning News----"All that stands between downtown Dallas and its near-total submersion are a pair of very old, deteriorating earthen levees that have been judged dangerously inadequate for a generation."