Fort Worth 4th Of July Presented By TRWD While Being Produced By The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

I still have not located any sort of "construction" timeline for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. I blogged about this a few days ago after I discovered the Skagit River Vision in my little old hometown of Mount Vernon had an actual project timeline for its legitimate flood control/economic development project.

Meanwhile, Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle seems to have lost sight of whatever its vision was, well over a decade ago, when this boondoggle was foisted on Fort Worth with no messy input from something like a public vote.

And now, in 2013, what do we see when we look at the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

The world's premiere urban wakeboard park, the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, a lame music venue that is called Panther Island Pavilion, a restaurant that is outside of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's area where the vision was supposed to be seen.

And, let us not forget the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

With next Thursday's floating coinciding with the 4th of July, which, apparently, gave the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle and perpetual frat party boy, J.D. Granger, the idea to have a really big party.

The Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision Authority appear to be really pleased to be putting on this 4th of July event.

Promotional material proudly states, as you can see above, "Presented By TRWD, Produced By Trinity River Vision Authority."

So, far no flood control has been produced by the TRV Boondoggle. And the economic development that is supposedly supposed to be part of the TRV Boondoggle seem to be rather sketchy operations.

As in, has anyone read any followup articles in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram letting us know how the Cowtown Wakepark is faring financially? And if the Coyote Drive-In having the 100s of vehicles show up, nightly, to watch movies, as was touted in the pre-opening propaganda?

Back when the original TRV Boondoggle was announced, with its signature bridges, lake, riverwalk, canals, and assorted other good things, no one could have imagined that over a decade later there would be so little to see, or that what there was to see would have nothing to do with what was  originally touted as being the Trinity River Vision.

Early on I thought this would be yet one more embarrassing Fort Worth boondoggle. My imagination is not sufficiently imaginative to have imagined how big a boondoggle and how embarrassingly bad the Trinity River Vision would actually turn out to be.

And there is still more to come.

Like the un-needed flood diversion channel with its 3 un-needed non-signature bridges.....

Walking In Arlington With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Thinking About A Self-Important Martinet Raging Psychotic Nonsense

With it not quite 100 degrees I thought it seemed to be a good idea to go for a refreshing walk with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area Indian Ghosts today in the shade of big oak trees.

As you can see via the photo evidence, the Village Creek Blue Bayou is no longer blue. It is now the Village Creek Green Bayou.

Speaking of the temperature.

And who isn't?

Earlier today, after I blogged about today's North Texas HEAT, Steve A, currently vacationing up north, commented on the North Texas HEAT,  letting me know it is going to be hot today in the Pacific Northwest, with hot there being in the high 80s in Seattle and 68 for the high in Ocean Shores, which is Steve A's location today, enjoying the cool breezes blowing in from the Pacific.

Whilst walking today I was pondering the mystery of DeepTex2013, that being the person who emailed me a copy of the letter Mary Kelleher sent to the TRWD's General Manager, Jim Oliver. I blogged about this letter in a blogging titled What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

Apparently very few people were in possession of this letter and those few people were very surprised and not a little disoriented to see it show up on a blog.

During the course of my pondering, whilst walking, thinking about the bad behavior of Jim Oliver brought to mind Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, which I finished reading yesterday. There is a scene in that book where one of the partisans is trying to get a dispatch to a general and finds himself thwarted, temporarily, by a self-important martinet, raging psychotic nonsense.

I really don't think self-important martinets, prone to raging psychotic nonsense, should be employed by a public agency, let alone paid over $300,000 a year.

That is what I concluded during today's walk with the Indian Ghosts.

Apparently A Very HOT Day Is Expected Across North Texas On Friday

My computer based weather monitoring device was flashing red when I woke up my computer this morning.

Flashing red with a "SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT."

Below is that SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT, all of it shouted in capital letters...

...A VERY HOT DAY EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS ON FRIDAY...

A STRONG UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED FROM TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA WEST TO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GENERALLY LIGHT AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT EXPECTED INTO NORTH TEXAS FRIDAY NIGHT. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY ARE EXPECTED TO SOAR TO BETWEEN 99 AND 102 DEGREES ACROSS EASTERN NORTH TEXAS AND BETWEEN 103 AND 107 DEGREES ACROSS WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THOUGH HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE LOWER ACROSS THE EAST...HIGHER HUMIDITY LEVELS MAY PUSH HEAT INDICES BRIEFLY TO AROUND 105 DEGREES. WHILE THE HUMIDITY WILL BE LOWER ACROSS THE WEST...THE ACTUAL HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE OPPRESSIVELY HOT.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS NOW IF YOU ARE WORKING OR PLANNING TO SPEND EXTENDED AMOUNTS OF TIME OUTSIDE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR LATER DURING THE EVENING HOURS. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER OR WATER-BASED FLUIDS. AVOID CARBONATED DRINKS...ESPECIALLY ALCOHOL.

Semi-Full Moon Squirrel Lunacy While I Swim Waiting To Get 100 Degrees HOT

I have not felt quite right the past couple days, I think because my pool was not doable due to an electrical malfunction rendering the water filtering system useless.

With the pool back doable this morning I had myself a really fine time getting some much needed water borne endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

We are barely past a big full moon, with that big full moon appearing to be only slightly less than full, early this morning, soon after the arrival of the sun.

I don't know if it is full moon lunacy that accounts for the behavior, but this morning something has 5 or 6 squirrels acting very squirrelly whilst I was swimming. The squirrels were doing some extreme limb leaping, odd fence climbing and noisy chattering.

I think the air was already heated to the low 80s when I got in water this morning. The water felt heated to a similar temperature. According to the current temperature predictions the pool water is about to get a lot HOTTER.

The above indicates that today will hit 100,  tomorrow 104, 104 again on Friday, with that 104 earning a HOT graphic, with Saturday chilling to only 98, but also earning itself, inexplicably so, one of those HOT graphics.

I got the above temperature info from the Star-Telegram, which might explain the inexplicable-ness of the 98 degree HOT graphic.

At least we can take some comfort in the Air Quality being only Moderately Bad.

What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

Captain Clean, during the recent Tarrant Regional Water District Board Member Election, promised to do some TRWD Flushing if any of Captain Clean's candidates were elected to the board.

Well, Mary Kelleher was elected. Elected with the most votes any candidate has ever received in a TRWD Board Election.

Mary Kelleher has been busy making good on her campaign promises regarding transparency and open meetings and accountability.

To that end, Mary Kelleher on Friday, June 21, went to TRWD headquarters to request documents to review.

This perfectly legitimate request for documents to review, in Mary Kelleher's capacity as an elected member of the TRWD Board of Directors, quickly spun out of control, with the out of control part of the spin provided by TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver, which lead Mary Kelleher to send Jim Oliver a letter, a copy of which I have received, part of which had Mary Kelleher telling Jim Oliver the following...

As requested by Ms. King, I did come back in the afternoon. Instead of being provided the documents, I was confronted by you, and you proceeded to yell at me while beating on your chest and declaring that all future requests be made to you. As a result, despite Ms. King's promise of the documents, I still have not been able to see any of the documents I requested.

You were noticeably frustrated and angry with my attempts to obtain documents that would shed light on what happens at the TRWD. Please understand that was what I was elected to do and I have a legal right to review such documents. I take very seriously my responsibilities as an elected official, and I expect that my attempts to provide the necessary oversight in the future will not be met with raised voice, chest-pounding,
disrespect, and other behavior unacceptable for a public servant, let alone the senior executive member of the TRWD. It has come to my attention that you have been similarly inappropriate in your email correspondence with John Basham. See, e.g.. Exhibit A, attached. In light of these repeated outbursts, in my view, the District should consider whether it is appropriate for you to continue in your current position and/or whether you should be required to take anger management training.

You can read the entire letter, including the above referenced Jim Oliver inappropriate correspondence with John Basham, by clicking here.

I can not help but wonder, given the reasonableness of Mary Kelleher's request to review TRWD documents, with that request causing such an uncalled for, unprofessional, inappropriate, hysterical reaction from the TRWD General Manager, what it is that Jim Oliver is so afraid will be exposed if full transparency sheds bright light on the years of closed door dealings of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board....

A Flintstone Picnic At Fort Worth's Mallard Cove Park With No Ducks

Well, just as I thought I would, yesterday, after I discovered nearby Mallard Cove Park, today I returned to pedal my tires on the paved trails that meander around Mallard Cove.

I am almost 100% certain that a Mallard is a duck. But, I saw no ducks of any kind in Mallard Cove Park today.

Or any other bird.

I read, whilst Googling for Mallard Cove Park info,  that this park is a birders paradise. Maybe early Summer is the wrong time of the year for birds to be in residence.

I did see numerous GAS PIPELINE WARNING signs in Mallard Cove Park. Which led me to wonder if Fort Worth has the world's highest number of gas pipeline warning signs in its parks.

My favorite thing I found in Mallard Cove Park was in the shade of the Mallard Cove Grove of trees. Below is that favorite thing.

A Flintstone style picnic table. There needs to be a Flintstone style fire pit installed near the Flintstone style picnic table to render this a perfect Flintstone picnic spot.

Above you are looking at duck-free Mallard Cove. This view is a short distance north of the Flintstone picnic table area.

The area under the shade of the Mallard Cove Grove was significantly cooler than being under the sun on the paved trail. This would be a serene spot to while away a HOT summer afternoon.

Apparently J.D. Granger Delivers To Or For The River Without Floating In It

Yesterday I blogged about the Lone Granger and Nepotism.

Someone named Anonymous commented on that Lone Granger and Nepotism blogging with the following...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Lone Granger Wonders About Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Nepotism":

The latest Rockin' The River pics are out and The Lone Granger appears in pic 56 of 156.

He's sporting eye glasses in the photo and doesn't look like he gets in the water.

Pics here: http://www.dfw.com/2013/06/21/804604/pics-062013-rockin-the-river.html

I tortured myself by scrolling through 55 photos of scantily clad people enjoying the pure, crystal clear water of the Trinity River before I got to photo #56 to find two guys sporting eye glasses, neither of whom look as if he may be getting in the water.

I am going to go way out on a limb here and make a guess that J.D. Granger is the guy sporting eye glasses on the right. I am making this guess because the guy on the right is wearing a t-shirt that says either "I DELIVER FOR THE RIVER" or "I DELIVER TO THE RIVER."

Since J.D. Granger has delivered hundreds upon hundreds of sacrificial floaters to the Trinity River, methinks it would be he who would be wearing a t-shirt touting this incredible accomplishment.

J.D. Granger Working On His Beer Gut

Now, regarding it appearing that J.D. is not prepared to get in the water, I can not help but wonder if, during the course of all the Thursdays when hundreds upon hundreds of people have enjoyed the pristine waters of the Trinity River in the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, has J.D. Granger not joined the throngs he has delivered to the river, even once?

Is J.D. shy about exposing his beer gut to the unforgiving eyes of the numerous cameras documenting the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats?

Even if J.D. is shy about exposing his beer gut I still think it would behoove him to show a good example and deliver himself to the river.

At least once.

Bowling With Spencer Jack Jones One Must Score Ones Weight Or Better

Apparently, according to documentation emailed to me this morning, Spencer Jack has taken up the extreme sport of bowling.

According to Spencer Jack's dad...

Spencer pauses only once for a camera opportunity. His trick in completing 8 full games in less than 90 minutes: use two balls, so he doesn't have to wait for the ball return device to fetch his first "tossed" ball! This kid is Brilliant! 

As Spencer Jack continues his journey across the American cultural landscape I can not help but wonder what is next.

Karoke?

The scoreboard, above, is a bit blurry, but it appears that Spencer Jones' score, on the left, is 68, while Spencer's Dad, on the right, is a big X.

Regarding the bowling scores Spencer Jack's dad had this to say...

A bowler should always be able to bowl his own weight! Spencer exceeded such, with a game average of close to 100. His dad and "girl friend's" average score proved this theory true, with the 3 game average being a 118 and 185, respectively!  

A bowler should always be able to bowl his own weight? I'm expected to bowl 310? I thought 300 was the top number of points one could get in a single game of bowling.

I don't believe I have ever seen one of the ball rolling assistant devices, previously, that Spencer Jack appears to be using to assist in his accelerated bowling game.

If I remember right the last time I bowled was with Spencer Jack's cousin, my nephew Jeremy. I believe this occurred the first time I drove back home after the move to Texas. I remember my back was aching and bowling caused the pain to be excruciating. That and I got three strikes in a row. But, even with three strikes my score got nowhere near my weight.

Below is video of Spencer Jack bowling, taken by his favorite girl friend, Brittney...

I Exercised CAUTION While Walking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Today Before Finding Mallard Cove Park

Soon after walking from the Village Creek Natural Historical Area parking lot I came upon "CAUTION" tape blocking off access to several picnic tables.

I do not believe it was the picnic tables that one needed to be cautious about. I think the danger may have been coming from the big dead tree you see rising above "CAUTION" in the picture.

If it is the dead tree presenting the need for caution, why not simply knock it down before it falls on an innocent picnicker? Instead of marking off the area with what looks like crime scene tape.

Other than being advised to exercise CAUTION it was an uneventful walk with the Indian Ghosts today.

Upon leaving my abode I found my route via John T. White Road reduced to one lane. So, I opted to take Randol Mill Road back to my abode.

I have driven Randol Mill Road countless times without noticing the park sign I saw today.

Mallard Cove Park.

I followed the Mallard Cove Park signs til I arrived at the entry to Mallard Cove Park. This appears to be a new park, which would explain why I'd not noticed it before. I could see multiple paved trails from the parking lot, curving down a slope towards the Trinity River.

I suspect I will be rolling my bike tires on these newly discovered trails soon. As in, likely tomorrow.

Yesterday I mentioned that my pool was suffering an electrical malfunction. The electrician showed up this morning and got the electricity back electrifying, which has the pumps back pumping and me back swimming, maybe later this afternoon, but tomorrow morning for certain.

The Lone Granger Wonders About Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Nepotism

This morning an incoming blog comment amused me...

The Lone Granger has left a new comment on your post "The Skagit River Vision Has Me Freshly Perplexed Regarding The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle":

Is the son of Mount Vernon's Representative in Congress running the Skagit River Vision? Or do you have ethical rules regarding nepotism up north?

That is the Lone Granger, above. I do not know if the Native American with the Lone Granger, above, is the Apache historic ground blesser employed by J.D. Granger when he needs a new erection blessed.

To answer the Lone Granger's question, I don't know if there are any ethical rules regarding nepotism, up north. What I do know is there is a surplus of common sense up north that prevents something outrageous, like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's nepotistic appointment of Congresswoman Kay Granger's unqualified son to run a public works boondoggle that the public has never voted for.

The thing is, I would hazard to guess that the vast majority of those who live in the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Zone could not tell you what nepotism is, or why it is considered wrong in civilized parts of the world or how hiring J.D. Granger to manage the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is a classic example of nepotism.