Comments on: All This Rain Good For Duck Boat Tours

By: Busy Body

Busy Body — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:46:52 +0000

Tried the new coffee house on North Main Street “The Tribecca” this afternoon. Clean, bright, comfortable, and good coffee.

I was lucky that there was plenty of open parking spaces on the street, so it was a pleasure to go there. I don’t know what will happen if you have to go into the lot for parking, as there is too much FREE and ACCESSIBLE parking at Starbucks and Dunken Donuts. I wish them the best.

By: park lover

park lover — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:58:54 +0000

#11, because every other city in America realizes their park and rec departments can’t possibly provide all the recreational and other services that parks need to provide to draw people in, without raising taxes, and they don’t have the budgets to hire the staff to run the concessions and facilities. So they rent out their space and get a valuable revenue source that funds improvements, maintenance, and rec programs.
It’s the smart way to run a park system, and all parks professionals and park advocates (yes, park lovers) promote it.
There is nothing wrong with making the parks vibrant and well-used places, without burdening taxpayers, that serve their communities at all times, and to people of ALL abilities, instead of providing limited uses for just athletes and their spectators, and are otherwise empty and scary places.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:27:37 +0000

#9 – The duck boat can’t do the water part this year because it doesn’t have the Coast Guard certificate. It will be ready to pass the Coast Guard inspection next year, but for this year, the owners want to get some exposure and build some excitement for the full water/land tour next year.

#11 – Just curious, are you advocating that Stew Leonards at Calf Pasture, and the other food vendor at Vets, along with the Sheffield Island tour and the visitor’s dock cease and desist because they are in city parks? I’m guessing that would also include the Oyster Festival, The Columbian Festival, any concerts, the upcoming Patriot Days re-enactment of the Burning of Norwalk this year and probably another pARTy in the Park next year?

That seems pretty drastic. It would also kill off any cultural life that Norwalk has just begun to encourage, not to mention the added revenue to both the City’s coffers and the local merchants. That’s pretty steep.

By: Just Curious

Just Curious — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:40:11 +0000

Why can’t they keep commercial enterprises out of the parks instead of encouraging them to come in?

By: Secondhand Rose

Secondhand Rose — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:40:37 +0000

#8, with the exception of Mill Hill, St. Paul’s Church and the building that Kydes Real Estate is in, there IS NO “historic area around the Green” except in certain people’s wishful thinking. Once all those old buildings surrounding the Green were allowed to be expanded/rebuilt/remodeled/additioned/landscaped, whatever historic value they might have had prior to any work done on them disintegrated.

If you’re going to spend this much time worrying over something that doesn’t exist any longer, why not turn your efforts into something that makes some sense, like putting bricks into the sidewalks in the area of East Norwalk where the original Norwalk homesites existed when the town was founded?

Now THERE’S something TRULY sad – the original settlement area of Norwalk doesn’t even have one single building, signage, or markers to show that this is where Norwalk started in 1641.

There’s no point in tearing your hair out over 93 East Avenue; that building is a vermin host, a firetrap, and a good example of urban blight. It needs to go, and go before someone gets the idea to set it on fire. Then you’ll really have a problem .

By: Old Timer

Old Timer — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:28:17 +0000

Duck boat tours that don’t go in the water ? Isn’t touring the harbor, with somebody pointing out the points of interest, the whole purpose of duck boat tours? They could even park and board someplace away from the water, but ridng into the water, cruising around, and riding back up on land, is the whole point.
I have often wondered why more boat tours of the harbor are not offered in season. There are some, but it surprises me there aren’t more.

By: anon

anon — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:07:52 +0000

Yet Second Hand Rose vociferously refuses to acknowledge the potential in preserving the hsitoric area around the Green and encouraging the Inn to upgrade its’ facility by using the historic asset it already owns. Go figure…

By: history buff

history buff — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:53:59 +0000

thanks rose. well said.
the party in the park last weekend was the proof that there are thousands of people in this area who are hungry to experience our rich history and cultural attractions. The days of norwalk being run by negative self-haters is over.
ignore them.

By: Secondhand Rose

Secondhand Rose — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:42:46 +0000

It’s not so much about what “is” as what it “could be” – if people would only realize the tourism goldmine this City is sitting on! Unfortunately there are always negative people like you who keep attempting to cloud the message.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:23:24 +0000

Um, Rose, Norwalk isn’t Plymouth and/or the Cape. Pilgrims didn’t land here and this is hardly the ultimate northeast seaside vacation paradise! They have them in Seattle, too, but Seattle IS a tourist destination and one of the most beautiful cities in the country.