What was made clear (once again) watching the deliberations on this issue yesterday is that problems on the Parkway have not been dealt with by the managing agency until they reach crisis level, and now the responsible Parkway users will suffer.
This is the same approach taken by the county with illegal camping by the homeless which was allowed to fester over the years until it drove all legitimate use from the Woodlake area, which finally precipitated a similar response though the area still is the most dangerous in the Parkway.
We have suggested that management of the Parkway be contracted out to an independent nonprofit organization, as is done for the Sacramento Zoo locally, and well-run parks nationally such as Central Park in New York.
The Parkway needs focused dedicated management that isn’t concerned with anything other than seeing it is run safely and efficiently, not something that can be said about it now.
The article.
Holiday drinking on river banned
By Ed Fletcher -- Bee Staff Writer Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, August 9, 2006
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ban alcohol beverages from the American River Parkway during three holiday periods.
Supervisors said they wanted to prevent young adults from around the state from turning a Sacramento tradition -- floating down the river -- into a "Spring Break" complete with public nudity, alcohol abuse and out-of-control behavior.
The increased efforts to get alcoholic beverages off the river come after back-to-back wild July Fourth weekends. This summer, a melee involving more than three dozen oar-wielding drunken rafters sent one man to the hospital, and 20 were arrested for drunken driving. In the same period a year earlier, more than 30 were arrested.
The county doesn't have authority to stop people from drinking on the water, but Dave Lydick, the county's head park ranger, said the goal is to prevent drinking onshore.
The proposal prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages or possessing an open alcoholic beverage container from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue during summertime's three major holidays:
Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. The ban for Memorial and Labor days will stretch from Saturday to Monday. The parks director will set the number of days for Fourth of July each year.
