Deja-vu all over again!
Having just visited San Francisco I can swear that this topic did not come about as a result of a visit to Haight-Ashbury. But it is a flash-back.The subject of jetskis is in the news again. It was in my time but that time Councillor Spooner was a bit younger and obviously more spritely then as he was in the news for a trip into the water to accost a jetskier. Yep, he actually got his feet wet when he walked into the water and mouthed off at a couple of yahoos upsetting all on the West Beach. I see his response this week was to see that it (a similar incident) gets investigated by the parks & Rec committee.
Incidentally the clip from the cartoon was one drawn by Barry King (God how we miss that guy) and summed up the complete situation. If I remember correctly the complete cartoon showed Councillor Spooner as well, but being the politician that I was I only kept the clip that was mine. I knew that there would be a reference to it some decades later.
3 comments:
Surely that can't be our Ben, not with all that flowing hair and lush beard? Must be some mistake...
Down on memory lane, I can remember when my dad came back from an adventure when jet skis were first invented. He had the opportunity to pilot one around Cobourg harbour in his business suit and he loved it. I can imagine his tie flapping in the wind and him with a huge grin on his face.
Don't remember if he was on town council at the time or not, but I'm betting he was, and that this was a promotional effort to get councillors on side with a plan to operate them as a tourist attraction.
Anybody remember when we had a trampoline venture just south of the old Pavilion? For a quarter you could jump around on one of them for a short time, 15 minutes I think. It only lasted a couple of years and was before the mini golf course built later in about the same location.
Lot of memories down at the Beach besides trampolines, Deb. You don't mention the nearby Pav, a gift to the "young people of Cobourg" by one of the wealthy American visitors way back when.
A great venue for music, smooching and whatever since the days of dance bands in the 1940's, including our very own Stan Williams (later of Chateau Hotel fame)and his Blue Marines.
A later generation will recall the dances organized by Louis Stover in the 1960's, a great success until somehow the Lions club got a hold of the Pav and the music died. Kind of dull down there since the Pav was demolished for no good reason (Why don't we take about 2% of the Community Centre budget and rebuild it! Incredible that out town has absolutely no entertainment spots beside Lake Ontario).
Speaking of jetskis though, you don't mention the actual jetski rental business that Council approved about 1994 started by a guy called Randy something or other. Went great for about two days until some kid ran a jetski on the rocks and that was that.
Now after the Jet Ski festival on Victoria Day the Council is dicking around trying to separate the "responsible" jetskiers from the bad ones, who'll they'll keep an eye on. A futile quest--good or bad, who cares,they make the same unacceptable racket and should be out of our lives.
If Jetskiers had any sense of responsibility and were content to head way out in the lake and tear around no one would mind. But of course they all want to show off their wonderful toys by roaring along the beach.
Solution--The town now owns the harbour and the Municpal Act gives it the power to regulate it. So lets ban jetskis from using the harbour. If they can't use the harbour, then they can't go near the beach and the nature walkway annoying and disturbing almost everyone within half a mile.
Banning automatically involves enforcement issues, and we all know how effectively we do that here. Pick a different strategy or pledge a substantial amount of money (yours, not mine) to cover the additional costs.
Post a Comment