1. David Brauer commented that I was wrong about no reporters being at the meeting, and that Scott Russell of the Skyway News / Southwest Journal was there.
My apologies. I don't know Scott Russell and am not sure I will recognize him in person even after viewing the snapshot of him on the SWJ website. My comment was based upon looking around the room several times and not seeing anyone else but myself taking notes. Despite my being a technology kind of guy, I assumed perhaps incorrectly that reporters still took written notes. I'm glad at least one reporter was there. The MPRB does not get enough press coverage, having operated as a stealth fiefdom for years.
2. Scott Vreeland asks for my take, I think, on the Paddleford Packet Boat company fiasco.
It's a strange thing.
Asst. Super. Don Siggelkow stated he was surprised to read the article in the newspaper, implying he had no idea that Paddleford was about to give up on the MPRB. There were staff statements to the effect that while it was unfortunate, they thought they could get other vendors in to provide a similar service, because the "venue" (Boom Island Park and the river) was so good. They thought the market was "up" for such a service.
I personally think those were mostly just statements of appeasement and CYA.
Surely they have been in contact with Paddleford since last August. Jim Kosmo, Paddleford VP, says they (Paddleford) need an answer sooner than MPRB was willing to give it, and didn't like the jacked-up fees.
On the face, it looks like MPRB just screwed up by being too slow and too demanding, and not maintaining good enough communication. But that's suspect.
Commissioner Walt Dziedzic made a long statement about how he called Star Tribune writer Joe Kimball up and chewed him out for writing a one-sided piece without consulting the MPRB. (Mind you that Kimball's beat is St. Paul, and the story was more a forgone conclusion than a he-said / she-said topic.) Dziedzic also tried and failed to reach someone in St. Paul (missed the name), and was long-winded about the fees which are charged to groups who want to use Boom Island Park versus how little they charged Paddleford. Exactly what his point was, I'm not sure.
The strange thing about Dziedzic's comments is the lack of criticism of MPRB staff, and lack of defense of keeping the Paddleford there. Boom Island and the Paddleford dock was in his district. One might even say it was a crown jewel of sorts. If anybody would be pulling out all the stops to keep it there, one would think Dziedzic would be doing it. It's certainly in his nature, from what I hear. Yet his attitude seemed to be one of "so-long, bye-bye."
Maybe the MPRB was just going through the motions for the public's benefit, knowing all along that their real plan is to drop a marina in that location or up river.
Chris Johnson Fulton
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