Micropark Jay
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This week our guest to the BRO Roundtable was Jay 'Micropark' McCarthy. We figured that it would be good timing since the microparks are seeking funding to establish a series of parks along our waterfront. The first dog park has already been established and now organizers are looking to add a fishing park, a dog beach, and a skate park. The beauty of the micropark is that these are relatively inexpensive proposals that carry a lot of bang for the buck. Some of the proposals have thoughtful offshoots, such as benches, chess tables and bike racks.
In this interview, Jay talks about how he got the 'bug' to enhance the waterfront through these simple measures. He describes how communicating the need for these parks came about. Without the overwhelming success of the buffOLA micropark, none of the rest of the parks would stand a chance. The big dream will culminate with the unveiling of a skate plaza within eyesight of the Erie Basin Marina. Does the vision stop there? Listen in and find out.
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MARTHA
I have read and heard a great deal about this new skate park and while I agree it would give the kids a place to go one has to wonder who will pay the insurance for the park and if there's an injury, who will pay? Certainly not the taxpayers.
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jamesbflo
well, who pays the insurance for whats there now.
I think these are all fantastic ideas, i thank you for all of the hard work you're putting into this, and wish you well in winning that grant.
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marks
nice job jay. keep up the good work.
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fishwhisperer
not to be a party pooper... are there any water quality/pollution concerns with this project? Dogs die at Squaw Island and aren't you only allowed to eat one fish a year caught from these waters because of toxic waste issues?
I like parks, fish, and puppies as much as the next person, but perhaps a water and soil remediation program would be a good first step towards bringing open space and recreation to the water front, instead of a series of dangerous and gross parks.
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fishwhisperer
not to be a party pooper... are there any water quality/pollution concerns with this project? Dogs die at Squaw Island and aren't you only allowed to eat one fish a year caught from these waters because of toxic waste issues?
I like parks, fish, and puppies as much as the next person, but perhaps a water and soil remediation program would be a good first step towards bringing open space and recreation to the water front, instead of a series of dangerous and gross parks.
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sbrof
Remediation was by and large done over the last couple years when the city changed the use of the northern half of squaw island from an incinerator / dump to parkland. Ash and garbage was moved to south of the Railroad bridge and capped. The northern half was cleaned up as well and water quality tests of the small pond south east of the location for the dog island park have come back clean.
Assuming you aren't going to dig down too far the problems that may or may not be there are small. The real issues would be effluence coming down river from the Scajaquada creek and through the locks.
As for fish regulations, I am not sure what they are exactly but much more than one a year. It also depends on the type of fish you are eating. the water itself is rather clean thanks to the zebra mussel invasion about a decade ago but the sediments are where the pollution still lies. if you are eating fish that are bottom feeders (carp, sheephead etc) then you are putting yourself at a higher risk than eating those higher up the food chain like Bass or Walleye. The pollution levels are much lower.
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RisingDamp666
Yoohoo, Atwater....
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sbrof
"people should eat no more than one meal per week of any Lake Erie fish species." I found that from the NYS Health department. Children and pregnant women should each no more than on meal per month of lake erie fish.
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MARTHA
Since the skate park promotes inline skating and skateboards, there has to be insurance against lawsuits for injuries. This is different than vacant land as it is now. How is the insurance being handled?
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AtwaterLouse
Damp - Thanks for the alert, but I'm afraid if I say much more about what I think of these as a long term spending priority compare to other things, the powers-that-be might decide to add an Atwater Micropark project into the state budget just to teach me a lesson. I'd better ease up while they're only pushing for however many they're already pushing for.
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bruja
Thank you but I don't want the white self righteous liberals organizing my life,telling me where I can take my dog, what fish to eat or not eat and fretting about adequate coverage anymore than I do the self righteous conservative. I think we should be eating seagulls and oppossum!!!!
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