Hi Charles,
Yes the track is still there....I will email more later. Allan Quoting Charles Whalen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Allan (and all), > > Thanks for your insight and local knowledge, which is very useful and > helpful! Well, that pretty much settles it for me. I'm going back to Key > Biscayne again this year for the Key Biscayne EarthFest. I have forwarded > to you (Allan) my correspondence with the (new) event organizers, in which I > have accepted their invitation, on behalf of the Florida EAA, to be an > exhibitor, and have asked them a couple of questions to see if we can get > the same setup and layout for both our booth and our EVs this year as we had > last year, ... which worked really well last year. I will keep you in the > loop, Allan, on these communications. If anyone else is interested in > attending and exhibiting their EVs at the Key Biscayne EarthFest on Sunday, > April 20, together with Allan Miller and me, please let me know so that I > can include you in our list of EVs there. By the way, demo rides were not > only highly encouraged but also specifically requested of us to do at last > year's event. I have asked about that for this year's event. That makes it > even more attractive to do an event like this, where they actually *want* us > to give demo rides. > > Regarding the other Miami Earth Day event, that at Bicentennial Park, it > would nice to be represented there as well, in case any others of you would > like to give that one a try. Please let me know and I will forward to you > all the information, including contacts, application form, etc. > > ----- > > Regarding that venue of Bicentennial Park itself, more generally (and not > specifically related to this upcoming Earth Day event there), and the link > to the ariel view you gave of it > (http://bayfrontparkmiami.com/media/bicentenial_aerial.jpg), Allan, do you > know if that is a current ariel photo of it, or is that an old photo that is > out of date and no longer represents the setup and layout on the ground > there? > > I'll tell you why I ask. I've had some thoughts on my mind for a while now > about that particular venue -- Bicentennial Park. You mentioned in your > email below about it once having been used for auto races. That is clearly > visible in that ariel photo as the most distinguishing feature of the > park -- namely, that double-S/oval combo track layout. I'm wondering if > that is still intact? Do either Allan or Cliff know about that? > > I remember seeing some episodes of the famous "Miami Vice" TV show back in > the mid-to-late 80s where they actually raced cars on that track there at > Bicentennial Park. > > Here is the thought that really, *really* intrigues me. I didn't > specifically mention this particular venue to Shawn in some post-BBB > discussions and ruminations I had with him, although I did allude to and > speculate about splitting the event, by continuing to have the Friday night > drag racing at Countyline, while having the Autocross and Show 'n Shine on > Saturday at a more centralized location in or near downtown Miami, which > would hopefully draw a much larger crowd of those lazy Miamians who can't > seem to drag their rear-ends out to a swamp in the far northwest corner of > the county on a Saturday afternoon. Well, this particular venue of > Bicentennial Park (drawn specifically from my memories of "Miami Vice" in > the 80s) is one of two venues I had in mind, the other one being the very > south end of the parking lot at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. (If you look > at an ariel photograph of the enormous Crandon Park parking lot, you will > see what I mean and why I say that the huge, completely open south end of > that parking lot would be ideal for us to run an Autocross, as opposed to > the north end, which is full of lane and row separators and barriers.) And > here again, I feel that Key Biscayne is an ideal location and perfect > demographic for us, as I had explained in my previous email below, and > subsequently confirmed by Allan with his follow-up email, also below. > > I get so ambitious and manic just looking at that ariel photo of > Bicentennial Park that it conjures up images in my mind of not just an EV > Autocross but also of a track race sort of thing around that double-S/oval > combo, although maybe just a "time trial" sort of thing where only one car > races around the track at a time. (With the exception of Cliff, the rest of > us being all amateurs who've never done any oval track style racing, it > would be far too dangerous and unwise for us to have multiple cars racing > around that track simultaneously, NASCAR style.) Insurance would probably > be difficult to impossible to obtain for something like that. But maybe we > could limit it only to qualified EVers who have passed an advanced > weekend-long race car driver's training course like they give at Homestead > and Moroso, something like that. Maybe that would make the insurance more > doable and requirements easier to meet. I know I'm getting really manic > here, and this is highly unlikely, but it's just a thought. I have some > high-level connections to the Superintendant of Bayfront Park that I could > try to pull, if there is ever any interest in us having at least an EV > Autocross at Bicentennial Park. And with Steven Cayre soon to take delivery > of his Tesla in Miami, ... wow! ... what kind of drawing power would that > be?!?! > > Alan, Cliff -- Is that Bicentennial Park track layout still the same as in > that ariel photo that Allan gave, or has it been torn up or deteriorated > from neglect with multiple potholes, etc. since last used? ... Speaking of > which, by the way, when was it last used for racing? ... Miami Vice vintage > era late 80s? Anything more recent than that? > > Charles (always the dreamer :-) > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Charles Whalen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "FLEAA Mailing List" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:35 PM > Subject: Re: [FLEAA] April 20 Miami Earth Day event(s) dilemma: 2 choices > > Hi Charles (and everyone) > > Here are my thoughts. Bicentennial Park is huge, so it takes a > large crowd to fill the place...which I am assuming they are > expecting. To understand the scale of "big", they used to have auto > races in the park (see link). So, there is a chance that most of the > crowd would never pass by a booth. Or maybe we could actually drive on > the track. I do not know. I think I have seen them setting up this > event. There are several "vendor booths" setup next to the > port-o-potties. If my memory serves me, there looked to be about > 20-50 booths (maybe for food vendors). I am also not sure if the > organizers are going to sell tickets. And the demographic they are > targeting seems to be the "under 30" crowd. If our purpose for > participating is "public awareness" then this could be a good venue. > So there seems to be large potential...but also a large chance that it > would be an in-effective venue. > > http://bayfrontparkmiami.com/media/bicentenial_aerial.jpg > > As Charles implies, the Key Biscayne festival is a better setup. Even > if it is not promoted very well, there are the loyal residents of Key > Biscayne that will give it "word of mouth" promoting. Also, it is > setup at Crandon Park on the beach, so you are guaranteed a few > hundred folks every weekend. If the purpose of participating in the > event is "new EAA members", then this is a great venue, but may or may > not be a good "public awareness" venue. > > Just my 2 cents, > Allan > > > P.S. I am planning on participating in the Key Biscayne Event (if > they want me). > > P.S.S I participated in the Key Biscayne Green festival in Feb, and > had a great reception from the crowd. > > > Quoting Charles Whalen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> Hi everyone, >> >> This is addressed to everyone but especially those in South Florida who >> would like to exhibit their EVs in Miami on Sunday April 20 at an Earth >> Day event there. I am especially interested in Allan Miller's take on >> this, as he is local and closest to both of these venues and as such >> knows them best. >> >> The problem is that there are two different Earth Day events taking place >> in Miami on the same day, Sunday April 20, at two different locations. >> The two are separately organized, and neither has anything to do with >> the other. We have been invited to exhibit at both. The decision we >> have to make, for those interested in exhibiting their EVs at an Earth Day >> event in Miami on April 20, is which one do we choose to go to? Or >> maybe would some of us like to choose one of the two events and >> others choose the other event? I don't think it really has to be a group >> decision (which with as individualistic a group as EVers are, can be like >> trying to herd cats :-) but rather should left to each individual in terms >> of which event you want to attend. >> >> I will list the two events and what I see as the pros and cons of each. >> These pros and cons are just my own opinion, and I may be way off base on >> some of this, especially not being from Miami, which is why I'd really >> like to get Allan Miller's take on this. The two events are: 1) The Green >> Apple Festival Earth Day Celebration, being held in Bicentennial Park, >> and 2) The Key Biscayne EarthFest, being held at the Biscayne Nature >> Center in Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. >> >> -------------- >> >> 1) The Green Apple Festival Earth Day Celebration, being held in >> Bicentennial Park >> www.greenapplemusicfestival.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=17&Itemid=34 >> >> Pros: >> >> a) I'm not entirely sure about this, but this event *may* have a bigger >> promotional/publicity/advertising budget this year than the Key Biscayne >> EarthFest. This is a large nationally-based organization with a national >> series of events that are taking place simultaneously in 8 cities around >> the country: Washington DC, New York, Miami, Chicago, Denver, >> Dallas, LA, and San Francisco. This could be seen as either a positive >> or a negative, possibly a positive from a promotional/publicity/ >> advertising budget point of view, but a negative in other ways, as I will >> discuss below. >> >> Bands that have confirmed they will be playing: Menudo (the pre-pubescent >> Latin boys group), and hip-hop group Arrested Development. I'm not sure >> whether this is a pro or con, hence I've put it in between the pros and >> the cons. :-) >> >> Cons: >> >> a) The main organizer of this event is in Berkeley, California, from where >> he is handling all the Miami event details. There does not appear to be >> any locally-based organization coordinating the effort. This is a decided >> negative in my view. >> >> b) I'm not sure that Bicentennial Park is such a great location. First of >> all, it is not near any residential areas. Second, there is all kinds of >> construction going on right along that part of Biscayne Blvd. there, and >> parking and accessibility always seem to be a big problem around there. >> If they wanted to hold the event downtown, I think Bayfront Park >> would have been a better location. What do you think, Allan? >> >> c) This is the first year for this particular Green Apple Festival Earth >> Day Celebration in Miami. They don't appear to have any exhibitors >> that have yet signed up and committed to exhibiting at this event. >> >> d) Exhibitors are responsible for bringing and setting up their own >> display booth tents, tables, and chairs. >> >> -------------- >> >> 2) The Key Biscayne EarthFest >> http://earth-learning.org/page.aspx?vpageid=1002&itemid=1383 >> >> Pros: >> >> a) This is the second year for this event. (I exhibited at it last year.) >> >> b) In my view, this location is very good, about as good as you can get in >> Miami -- the layout, parking, ease of accessibility, the beautiful >> setting. It is immediately adjacent to the upscale residential >> neighborhoods of Key Biscayne, which is one of the most progressive >> and environmentally conscious communities in Miami-Dade County, >> actually in all of South Florida. There are more NEVs there than >> anywhere else I've seen in South Florida, other than maybe Key West. >> Most families seem to have two vehicles, a gas car for driving into >> work in downtown Miami, and a NEV that the family uses for >> all their local errands on the island, running the kids to school, going >> shopping, going out for meals, etc. People on Key Biscayne already *get* >> it about EVs. So the audience at this event is generally very receptive >> and EV friendly. It's the right demographic. >> >> c) The event is locally-based and locally-organized, which I always feel >> has a better prognosis for being a better event with better attendance >> than an event that is being organized by outsiders 3,000 miles away. >> >> d) The bands playing are some of the same bands that played last year, >> which were well received. They are locally-based bands, some of them >> made up of local environmentalists, Miami Sierra Club members, etc. >> >> e) Exhibitors will be provided with display booth tents, tables, and >> chairs, which the event organizers will have already set up in advance >> for exhibitors. >> >> OK, now we transition from the pros/positives to the cons/negatives, and I >> guess I will just do this narrative style with an explanation of what is >> going on with this year's event that's different from last year. >> >> Last year, in its first year, this was by far, without a doubt, the >> absolute best event, and best attended event, that I have ever exhibited >> at anywhere in Florida in my 3 years of doing such events. But that was >> no accident or happenstance. As I have learned in 3 years of doing such >> events, the quality of any particular event and its attendance are >> directly >> related to and primarily determined by the quality of the organizers and >> the effort they put into organizing the event. Last year, in its first >> year, this >> event was put on by two of Miami's best known, liked, and respected, well >> established and best connected environmental movers & shakers -- Rebecca >> Carter of GreenerMiami and Theo Long, Director of the Biscayne Nature >> Center at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. Rebecca and Theo were the >> two primary organizers and literally put months and months of work into >> organizing the event, about 6 months of continual hard work and >> enthusiastic, passionate effort. They hired one of Miami's best >> connected, >> high-powered PR firms to handle the publicity for the event, and that was >> also done months in advance. Every single Miami TV station was there >> covering the event (which was a miracle for a Sunday, as it is extremely >> difficult to near impossible to get the TV stations to come out and cover >> anything on a weekend in Miami). I was interviewed on live TV with >> my RAV4-EV. >> >> OK, that *was* the positive, at least for *last* year. Now we get to the >> negative for *this* year. >> >> Rebecca and Theo had initially started the process of organizing this >> year's event towards the end of last year. I got an email from >> Rebecca in December telling me to expect updates from her throughout >> the winter on the organizing effort for the April 2008 event. Well, I >> never received anything from her after that, nor anything from anyone >> at all. >> >> Curious, I wrote Rebecca several days ago to ask what is going with the >> Key Biscayne EarthFest and if it is going to be held again this year. A >> few days later, I got a short email back from Rebecca telling me that >> she is on maternity leave and expecting to deliver her baby soon, so she >> had to drop out of organizing the event this year. She also informed me >> that her co-organizing partner from last year, Theo Long, had some >> family issues that similarly required her to drop out of organizing the >> event >> this year. Rebecca didn't answer my question about whether they have >> hired the same PR firm to handle the promotions, publicity, and >> advertising for this year's event, but the answer to that is obviously >> "no". >> >> Rebecca informed me that she and Theo have turned over the organizing of >> this year's event to a couple of low-level Miami-Dade County Park Service >> functionaries/bureaucrats and referred me to them. I started thinking to >> myself -- Oh no, this event has been abandoned and is doomed, and >> immediately thought back to that ill-fated 2006 Miami Beach Earth Day >> event that was similarly organized by a couple of low-level City of >> Miami Beach functionaries/bureacrats without the passion, enthusiasm, >> energy, high-level connections, support, nor advertising budget to >> organize a high-quality event, and we all remember what a flop and >> fiasco that event was ... basically a complete waste of our time. >> >> I have now been contacted by these two low-level Miami-Dade County Park >> Service functionaries/bureaucrats who are organizing this year's Key >> Biscayne EarthFest. In looking over the material they just sent me, it >> looks like this year's organizing effort is coming together very late and >> that few exhibitors have signed up yet. Furthermore, it doesn't look like >> there is going to be any serious publicity and advertising effort this >> year like there was last year. In particular, I would not expect even a >> single TV station to be there this year. I would also expect this year's >> attendance to be way down from last year. Last year, there were probably >> like around 2,000 to 3,000 people there during the course of the >> afternoon. Allan Miller remembers; that's where I first met him. >> This year, I'm guessing they'll be lucky to get a few hundred. >> >> -------------- >> >> So anyway, folks, that's the situation on these two events as I see them >> and my read on them. As I said, I'd really like to get Allan Miller's >> opinion on all of this and which event he thinks has the better chance >> of being the better event to attend. As I said, maybe some of you would >> like to attend the Bicentennial Park event and others attend the Key >> Biscayne event. Despite my disappointment in the abandonment of >> the Key Biscayne event organizing effort to low-level Park Service >> bureaucrats, I myself am leaning towards going back to Key Biscayne >> again this year, just judging and taking everything on balance. Also, >> just the fact that it is still a local, community-based event means more >> to me than a national series event being organized 3,000 miles away >> with little-to-no apparent local organization. Maybe Andrew Roddy >> or others would be interested in going to the Bicentennial Park event, >> and then we could compare notes afterwards. >> >> Depending on what Allan Miller says, I think I am going to go ahead and >> sign up for the Key Biscayne event. If any of you want to sign up for >> the Bicentennial Park event, please let me know and I will send you the >> relevant contact info and details. >> >> Sorry for the length of this post. Just wanted to give everyone as >> complete a picture as possible with which to make your own >> judgement/decision about which event to attend, if any (or maybe >> neither). >> >> Best regards, >> >> Charles Whalen >> Florida EAA >> Delray Beach, FL >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _______________________________________________ > Florida EAA mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.floridaeaa.org > _______________________________________________ Florida EAA mailing list [email protected] http://www.floridaeaa.org
