HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[Johnny French]

Guess I wasn't paying attention when Caller.com began the email poll below and invited comments to match the respondents' choices:
Should traffic be restricted on local beaches?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) In some cases
(4) I don't know
Then I read a bunch of the comments and learned a lot about what they mean by an unscientific poll. It's obvious that quite often the choices and the comments don't match. The problem lies in the ambiguities in the wording of the question and in the initial subjective reaction many, myself included, have to what we think is the issue it addresses.

Let me explain. "Traffic" could mean vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic, or a combination of the two. (No, I didn't forget drug traffic; I ignored that interpretation.) "Restricted" is an even bigger source of ambiguity because it may mean either total, as enforced in front of the seawall by the October '05 ordinance, or partial, such as the one-way traffic enforced south of the seawall by that same ordinance, or by means of bollards, like at Bob Hall Pier. Some of the beach closure proponents who've been arguing the semantics of "beach closure" may have been confused because pedestrian traffic would only be hindered (a synonym for restricted) by closing the beaches to vehicular traffic and making everyone hike with their gear from parking lots. If so, those proponents might want to vote "No" or "In some cases." Folks who thought the one-way and bollards restrictions were okay might vote either "Yes" or "In some cases." Consider also that the poll doesn't say to which "local beaches" the poll applies; it could refer to the seawall area, Padre Island National Seashore, or all of Mustang and Padre Islands. Under these confusing circumstances, the appropriate vote, and probably any interpretation of the poll, is "I don't know."

I hope Caller.com will pull the current poll and replace it with something that reads like this:

Which form of restriction to vehicular traffic and parking on the gulf beach at is most appropriate in front of the seawall (A) or elsewhere (B) within the city limits of Corpus Christi? Place a number from the list below in the space after each. A __ B __

(1) No restrictions
(2) One-way traffic
(3) Bollards separating lanes of through vehicular traffic from parking and pedestrians
(4) Vehicles totally prohibited
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Caller.com

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URL: http://www.caller.com/ccct/letters_to_the_editor/article/0,1641,CCCT_841_4396390,00.html
Letters to the Editor: 01.18.06
January 18, 2006

Secret is out

How quiet it's been since the spattering of letters stating how eager everyone is for beach closure. I am wondering how we aginners might be heard since the Caller-Times has obviously made its choice about this issue.

I am amazed that the council members pretend they aren't fooling us because they omitted important parts of the situation. Oh, how funny it was to see the "secret comes out" headline. Do the council and the developers really believe that no one will notice that after we paid for Packery (shoved down our throats) Channel, we're supposed to just give it over to the nice developers?

Oh, and they won't limit our access to that stinky dirty old nasty beach (so why do they want it so desperately?), not even a tiny little bit.

Oh, City Council folk, developers, and all, I believe the no-big-deal beach closure must be a huge deal since you are trying so hard to convince us it's nothing. I am disgusted that the "stealth beach closure" method has been chosen as your best bet. I like the beach open, and I vote.

A.E. Lee

'Public' is key word

Reference: We could learn something from the Indian River Inlet from Larry R. Heagren (Viewpoints, Dec. 26).

Mr. Heagren referred to Indian River Inlet and compared it to the Packery Channel. A geographical feature similar to Packery Channel exists at Indian River Inlet, Del., as it provides Atlantic Ocean access to the inland bays of Sussex County.

The inlet has large jetties that extend into the ocean, bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay.

Indian River Inlet and Bay is part of the Delaware State Park system, and comprises one of the East Coast's most varied recreational playgrounds. One can do just about anything - camping, all kinds of fishing, clamming, crabbing, nature walks, scenic cruises, swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and windsurfing.

I am very familiar with that area of the East Coast, having lived in Dewey Beach, Del., and I continue to return to that area. The key element to the beach and inlet's success is that the State Park Commission (now the Division of Parks and Recreation) began operating, and controls, the Delaware Seashore State Park since 1965 and although the recreational uses at this inlet are many, it remains a public beach.

Hopefully, Corpus Christi will continue the same, and not set precedent by blocking off or initiating privatization of its beaches.

Joye LaBarrett