Dallas Whitewater Park Closed

[Big Daddy D]

I cannot describe how irate and sad I am right now. Because of one or two people, the city of Dallas has run and put its tail between its legs. And the press has been complicit in the process. They have only wanted a story about the city wasting tax payers dollars and refuse to interview or show those who are in favor of the WW park. WFAA was going to interview Dave Holl. When Dave told them he was excited about the park and for it, they never contacted him again.

http://www.wfaa.com/home/whitewater-126296368.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's also a terrible injustice that the paddlers in Arkansas have tried to raise the funds and build a WW park for years and a city like Dallas builds one and then abandons it. I don't blame you for hating Dallas.

Please feel free to berate these people at will.

This is the reporter's email: jbetz@wfaa.com

Charles Allen, who is the a-hole who single-handedly did more to destroy this project, doesn't have email, but his phone # is: 214-941-1757. You might leave him a friendly email message.

Justin Blake is a kayaker I have never met. I've never seen him on a river. I don't know where they find these Class I paddlers and keep calling them experts.

I will have more emails of some of the city officials who've abandoned us later today.

But please, don't hold back. Our voice is small, but it can loud.

David

[MaxTexan]

truly bad news

[kevohudd]

Bum Deal.

It is sad that a few inexperienced paddlers ruined this for others.

[gannon_w]

If I held her underwater another minute would she call me vicious?

I don't see anything difficult about the waves or the massive class 2 channel.

I'm also not sure that I would hold a persons opinion credible who uses words like "boondoggle"...

[Big Daddy D]

Here are some emails of city officials you can contact:

Dallas City Manager: Mary Suhm
mary.suhm@dallascityhall.com

Park and Recreation Department Assistant Director: Willis Winters
willis.winters@dallascityhall.com

Dallas Communications and Marketing Manager: Judy Schmidt
judy.schmidt@dallascityhall.com

Please show your support for the project and whitewater paddling.

Also, attached is the email I sent to Jonathan Betz, the WFAA reporter. I tried to be civil and ask for the opportunity to share another side of the story. We'll see if he responds.

Jonathan,

As a Dallas whitewater paddler, I can't believe the biased, one-sided slant to your story about the Dallas Standing Wave. I understand that you want a story about wasted tax dollars and irresponsible city government. But the truth is that the wave is not unsafe and many paddlers from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana have been looking forward to its opening. I have paddled it many times at many different water levels. I have paddled other whitewater features and play parks throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The Dallas Wave is a Class II+ feature. It does not create a terminal hydraulic or any serious hazard. In fact, it has portage ramps, stairways and handicap access. It's about as paddler friendly as any whitewater feature can be. The fear mongering by a few with other agendas has created a perception that is completely erroneous.

But you did not show any proponents of the park in your piece. In fact, a friend of mine and member of the board of the National Canoe Association, Dave Holl, claims that when he expressed excitement and enthusiasm for the project, he was never contacted again.

I'm curious how you found kayaker Justin Blake. I've been a paddler in Dallas for nearly a decade and never once met or seen Justin on a whitewater run or river. Just observing his gear and paddling skills suggests he's a novice at best. Teresa Patterson is not a whitewater paddler. Have you seen her credentials? Can she tell you what rivers she paddles. Before you put these so-called kayaking experts on camera, you may want to reach out to the real paddling community.

If you have a bit of fairness and decency in you, you will give those who support the whitewater park and whitewater paddling an opportunity to share our voice. You can reach me at this email or call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX..

David Morring

p.s. Here are pictures and footage from the wave at different levels. Hardly a death trap or killing machine.

http://paddleblogs.com/bigdaddyd/2011/0 ... ding-wave/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e2ZgZM ... dded#at=29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOfE0YqcUqg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[okieboater]

Man, I hate to hear this happened.

Very sad, goes to show how the news media operates for the most part these days. Hopefully, Dallas paddlers can find a news operation willing to tell the entire story.

[gannon_w]

Here is the discussion thread on mountainbuzz...for those who don't know that's the Bestest kayaking smack talkingest site, but mainly in Colorado.

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/ ... 38963.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Justinb83]

Hey guys this is Justin Blake (the guy from the news broadcast) I'd like to say sorry for the city of Dallas closing the park. I was just going for a paddle and got flooded with cameras. Out of a 45 min interview they took out one line about the canoe bypass and spun it. Anyway if you guys have any recommendations on anyplace I can post the one-sidedness of the story I'd be happy to do so!

[Roger]

Hey guys this is Justin Blake (the guy from the news broadcast) I'd like to say sorry for the city of Dallas closing the park. I was just going for a paddle and got flooded with cameras. Out of a 45 min interview they took out one line about the canoe bypass and spun it. Anyway if you guys have any recommendations on anyplace I can post the one-sidedness of the story I'd be happy to do so!

Mr. Blake, let me say that you have muy juevoes for coming here and posting. The best thing to do when it comes from dealing with the media these days is to simply say, "No comment."

As for trying to rectify the situation, I'm not sure what you can do since the media is not known for really making corrections about errors in their reporting like they use to do many years ago.

Best bet is to try and contact the reporters you talked to and start there. The fact that you talked for 45 minutes to what passes for a "journalist" these days says way too much.

I really don't have a dog in this fight other than the fact that stupid ruled over reason. Which is too often these days. Hope you enjoyed your 15 minutes of fame.

And as much as I despise all things Tejas, I don't hate it. Hell, all my family lives there now!!! :roll:

BTW, I had a career in journalism for a short while when it was honorable believe it or not.

[DeBo]

Out of a 45 min interview they took out one line about the canoe bypass and spun it. Anyway if you guys have any recommendations on anyplace I can post the one-sidedness of the story I'd be happy to do so!

As one who has had dealings with the media, I certainly sympathize. I gave what I thought was a great comprehensive interview to channel 7 in Little Rock about another issue. They gave me one line out of context on the evening news. Now they have an hours worth of file footage which they can role out any time the issue comes up, and with creative editing, they can make me say anything they want.

It's not suprising that no one knows what to believe anymore.

I'm sorry about the WW park. I hope the real story can get out by some means. Think creatively!

[fryingsquirrel]

If people are concerned about taxpayer's money being wasted, then is it not a bigger waste to build a whitewater park and subsequently shut it down than to not build one at all? Everyone grab your broomsticks (or paddles, for preference) I'm calling shenanigans on WFAA.

[Big Daddy D]

Hey guys this is Justin Blake (the guy from the news broadcast) I'd like to say sorry for the city of Dallas closing the park. I was just going for a paddle and got flooded with cameras. Out of a 45 min interview they took out one line about the canoe bypass and spun it. Anyway if you guys have any recommendations on anyplace I can post the one-sidedness of the story I'd be happy to do so!

I do find it difficult to believe that you were down there paddling by yourself when Channel 8 news crews just happened to show up. It's also interesting that they are using footage from the Go Pro on your chest in the news story. So obviously, you sent footage to them after your interview. I'd be interested to hear about that.

But suppose it was purely coincidence that they interviewed you for 45 minutes at the wave, I'd suggest you contact Jonathan Benz, explain the harm you've caused and insist that he do a follow up story with the paddlers who have supported and tested the wave. I have emailed him and left messages with him, but maybe you can twist his arm a little.

You might contact the city officials and issue an apology. You might go on Paddle Texas and explain what happened and try to clear your name.

I'm not going to hate on you, that's not my style. We can all get misquoted. But I would like a little more detail of how they got your footage and why they happened to be there when you were there. Especially when the trail contractor has been running us off and asking us to leave.

[Justinb83]

The go pro is the news crews. They asked me to run the canoe shoot for their footage so I did so. I showed up and paddled like it was a avarage day with no intentions of being interviewed or harassed by anyone. Whether or not you believe me matters very little. I think the parks great and would like to do what I can, if anything to help keep it rockin! Your "hatin on" me one way or another also means very little. Again on a side note I spoke positively about the park for the whole interview except for one phrase about the canoe bypass.

[Flipit]

[Go on Paddle Texas... ...and try to clear your name.

Wait... what? How would you... Huh? Splane to me how that would work!

[Big Daddy D]

The go pro is the news crews. They asked me to run the canoe shoot for their footage so I did so. I showed up and paddled like it was a avarage day with no intentions of being interviewed or harassed by anyone. Whether or not you believe me matters very little. I think the parks great and would like to do what I can, if anything to help keep it rockin! Your "hatin on" me one way or another also means very little. Again on a side note I spoke positively about the park for the whole interview except for one phrase about the canoe bypass.

You know what, Justin. I believe you. It was stand up of you to come on here and admit what happened and then to further explain yourself. I've invested a lot of time and energy trying to getting this thing going. I've been documenting its progress and reporting on it for nearly two years now. I've met with city officials, coordinated clean ups and asked many of my paddling friends to sacrifice their time to help support the whitewater park. With the Dallas Downriver Club and paddlers like Charles Allen continually trying to torpedo this project, I think you can understand my initial skepticism.

I'd have no problem paddling with you and we can always use more boaters in this area. I'm just sorry you got played by the media. A lesson to all of us.