From the Queens Chronicle:Just in time for summer, the fountain surrounding the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park is scheduled to be turned on at the end of May, following $1.4 million in repairs.
The site has been closed since September to repair underground pumps that have been problematic for years. Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Parks commissioner, said the aim is to fix the problem and make the fountain fully functional.
The current plan also calls for restoring the pipes and fixing the fountain heads. Funds are being supplied through the Mayor’s Office and Queens Borough President’s Office.
In the last few years, the fountain has been turned on only sporadically, partly as a water conservation measure but primarily due to the leaking. Lewandowski said it is costly to keep it on, but it definitely will be activated for special events.
So we spent $1.4M to fix it and it will still only be turned on during the U.S. Open? You've got to be fucking kidding.
10 comments:
Queens Crapper: So we spent $1.4M to fix it and it will still only be turned on during the U.S. Open? You've got to be fucking kidding.
You read things in a very odd way, Crappy. What part of, "Lewandowski said it is costly to keep it on, but it definitely will be activated for special events," implies that it will ONLY be on during the U.S. Open? My own interpertation of this is that it'll be turned on when significant numbers of people might be expected to be there to enjoy it. Like the Billy Graham crusade there a few years back, when it was on during the first night. Maybe they'll run it on the Fourth of July, or when the Mets make it to the World Series. Personally, I'd like to see it going for the start of the Tour de Queens but, alas, I think I'm going to be thousands of miles away on that day.
Anyway, if you're feeling gypped, your contribution - assuming all 8.4 million New Yorkers chipped in the same amount - is about $.17. I'll be happy to PayPal you a quarter.
Part of the reason it wouldn't work was BECAUSE of not being used. Machinery needs to operated in order for it to function well.
Christopher, in his typical pollyanna-ish way, defends the City and predicts that it will do something that past experience tells us it won't. He also seems to not understand that "significant numbers of people" are there every weekend. The fountain sits outside the Queens Museum, is not far from the Hall of Science, the Queens Zoo, Theatre in the Park and the Botanical Garden and the park is used by thousands of area residents for recreation.
In keeping with the green agenda of PlaNYC 2030 they could have done something innovative and installed solar panels and had it run every day for minimal cost.
Lost opportunity. But that $64M potato chip in Brooklyn will get built...
Snarkily saying that my contribution is only $.17 and you'll reimburse me for it misses the point. Parks are enjoyed by everyone, but created and maintained primarily for the residents of a community.
We shouldn't have to wait for tennis fans and religious nuts from out of town will to come here once and awhile in order to enjoy the fountain.
Everything only happens for the Open. The LIRR will cut back service to hourly only in May. No extra trains for Met games but plenty for the Open.
www.forgotten-ny.com
There weren't even any express trains for the Mets opener yesterday. I don't know if there is some extreme construction going on on the express tracks but that's still a bit of poor planning.
How about we send the bill to the USTA or whatever the hell they call themselves, seeing as how we bend over backwards to clean the area up when they come around 2 weeks out of the year.
The 800 pound gorilla in the room is still the New York State Pavilion and towers. Not a mention. No news. Never. I wonder how crappy and unsafe it has to become before the City or USTA decide to take it down.
The cool spray from the fountain is quite refreshing on a hot summer's day!
800 ton gorilla that's been sitting and rusting for decades. That won't get fixed until the whole thing collapses on top of the mozzarepa stands on Columbian Day!
I hate that I go to the park a dozen times a year, but the only people who get great pictures of the fountain spraying are tourists.
Have it on during Passport Fridays. A few hours every Saturday and Sunday would be nice, too.
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