Friday Mail Bag -- Riverwalking

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[naviga:font color="#000000"][/naviga:font][naviga:font size="3"][/naviga:font][naviga:font color="#000000"]Lots of good e-mails from readers this week.

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[naviga:font color="#000000"]I figured I'd get slapped around pretty good after I wrote Tuesday that's it's way too soon to bury a proposed downtown river walk in vitriol. I thought this town's bumper crop of government-haters would tell me to walk into the river, as soon as it thaws.[/naviga:font][naviga:font color="#000000"] [/naviga:font][naviga:font color="#000000"]

"I enjoyed your column this morning.  The negativity from a small group has exacted a serious toll on this city,  and this negativity has been contagious,"  wrote Jim Wing.

Eleanor Hearst thinks if San Antonio can reap the river, why not Cedar Rapids?

"It amazes me, even after living nearly fifty years in this city, that people are so negative about everything that might cost money, yet some of those same people will spend money to go to cities that have the same amenities.  Why should San Antonio reap the benefits of a river and Cedar Rapids not enjoy the same advantages?"

Yeah, and why isn't there a decent outdoor margarita joint around here? Maybe I'll just use my snow-blower to mix up a pitcher.

J.T Breslin also decried what he sees as the propensity of folks around here to pour cold water on ideas, even before the details are nailed down.

"Frankly, our motto should be:  'Cedar Rapids, the town were ideas come to die,'" he wrote.

Not everyone was thrilled, however.

Jean Bonner of Cedar Rapids called the river walk an "old, tired concept." And Dale Brodt pointed out, correctly, that the city already has a river walk. 

"It's located on the west side of the river and extends from 4th Avenue across from Wells Fargo Bank to I Avenue NW.  It was created in the '60s when flood walls downtown were rebuilt.  This river walk is probably not mentioned very often because it has NOT been well maintained by the City for a number of years.  There are planters along the walk that are not very well kept in the spring and summer and you will frequently find bird droppings that are not removed on a regular basis," he wrote.

I've walked through there and he's right. It's trashed.

The county supervisor pay saga continued to generate mail.  

"When I was encouraged to support the added 2 supervisors I was assured that the current salaries would be divided by 5 with no increase for the 2 new ones," wrote former CR city council member Chuck Swore. "State law needs to be changed if the only way supervisors can increase any county employees wages is to raise their own."

 "Regarding your "vinyl" column today, good call.  I've never been able to throw mine away either.  I knew I met the "right girl" for me when I checked out my future wife's album collection and found plenty of "Huey Lewis & the News".  Don't laugh...they still tour," wrote Rich Ripley.

No chuckles here. It's still hip to be square. Keep those letters coming.

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