Will The Barge Be Ready For Summer Concerts?

LOOKING AT THE HOLES IN THE BARGE - HAS TOWN GOT A HANDLE ON THIS ONE?

A LOT OF WOODWORK YET TO GO BEFORE SEASON

     THE UNOFFICIAL "BARGE DEBATING SOCIETY," IS GETTING A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR GULL LAKE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. PERSONALLY, I'M A LOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF GULL LAKE PARK, AS I NOTED A FEW WEEKS AGO. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, AND AS A LONG TIME MUSKOKAN, I THOUGHT THE TRADITIONAL TOURIST SEASON BEGAN ON THE 24TH OF MAY HOLIDAY. IF THIS IS HOW WE ATTIRE OURSELVES, TO GREET VISITORS THESE DAYS, I'M MISSING SOMETHING. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING A TOURIST ECONOMY RIGHT? THAT IT'S A BIG DISADVANTAGE FOR YEAR ROUND MONEY-MAKING. WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY IN OUR REGION. RIGHT? THEN WHY WOULD WE EVER, EVER, SHORT-CHANGE VISITORS ATTENDING OUR MOST IMPORTANT URBAN PUBLIC PARK. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RAKED AND THE FALLEN BRANCHES CLEANED UP LONG BEFORE NOW. IF SOMEONE AT PARKS AND RECREATION SUGGESTS,"WE NEVER CLEAN OUR PARK THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON," THEN HERE'S A WAKE-UP-CALL……, ABOUT HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE, TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF OUR SHORT PEAK TOURIST SEASON. MAYBE THE FINE FOLKS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CAN JUMP ON THIS…..OR AT LEAST OFFER AN OPINION ABOUT WHEN GRAVENHURST'S TOURIST SEASON DOES BEGIN, IF NOT ON MAY 24TH.  A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STOPPING TO HAVE PICNICS IN THE PARK AND PARTICIPATING IN OTHER EVENTS, AND IT IS NOT UP TO SNUFF. IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE BASIC HOUSE-KEEPING ISSUES. IT'S NOT A HUGE JOB, BUT IT'S WHAT MAKES US LOOK GOOD TO THE VISITING PUBLIC, WHO WE HOPE WILL SHOP LOCALLY. AS A LOCAL, I'M NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL. BUT HERE IS THE CONTRADICTION YOU SEE, AND COMES FROM COUNCIL. YOU CAN HAVE A GREAT REFERENCE GUIDEBOOK, THAT IS GOING TO HELP EVERYONE HELP THEMSELVES, AND WE CAN HAVE A FREAKING NEW WEB SITE, AND HAVE A NEW OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE SOME MANPOWER ON-RAKES…..TO CLEAN UP THE PARK, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BY THE VICTORIA DAY WEEKEND.

     THERE IS A SOCIAL DISCONNECT WE NEED TO FIX IN THIS TOWN, AND IT'S LIKE THIS. WHILE MANY CITIZENS WILL CONTINUE TO SIGN UP, TO SWIM AT THE YMCA OPERATED POOL, A LOT OF PEOPLE WON'T. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY. THE BEACH IS FREE, AND THE HOURS ARE OPEN, AND UNLESS THE LAKE FREEZES OVER, WATER ACCESS WON'T BE DENIED. UNLESS THERE ARE BOAT RACES, OF COURSE. THERE ARE A LOT OF TEENAGERS WHO WON'T GO TO THE POOL, AND CERTAINLY WON'T APPLY FOR FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION TO SWIM THERE. IT'S JUST A THING, AND WE KNEW THAT THIS WOULD BE THE CASE, WHEN THE BUILDING WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED. THE FREEDOM OF THE OPEN LAKE IS A LEGENDARY ALLURE, SO WE SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, NOT EVERYONE IN OUR TOWN WANTS TO SWIM IN A CHLORINATED POOL. GULL LAKE PARK, IS ONE OF THOSE URBAN-CENTRE DELIGHTS, THAT WILL ALWAYS ATTRACT SWIMMERS, TENNIS FOLK, BALL PLAYERS, JOGGERS, DOG WALKERS, PICTURE TAKERS AND GENERAL LOUNGERS. IT'S AS IMPORTANT TO THESE PEOPLE, AS IT IS TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC, WHO WISH TO STOP BY OUR BEAUTIFUL LAKE FOR A RESPITE. I'M GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT THE RANKING OF GULL LAKE PARK, AND IF IT IS SOMEHOW GETTING LESSER RECOGNITION THESE DAYS. THE PARK USE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE, AND BASED ON THAT, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY REDUCTION IN SERVICES. RECENTLY, THERE WAS QUITE A HUB-BUB ABOUT THE POTENTIAL INSTALLATION OF AN AMPHITHEATER, TO BE CARVED INTO THE SHORE, ACROSS FROM THE BARGE. A GOOD RAKING IS BEST. FORGET THE  CONCRETE BUNKER. SWEEPING UP THE CIGARETTE BUTTS WOULD BE NICE AS WELL. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE.

WILL THE BARGE BE READY?

     What the Barge Debating Society would like to know, is if the platform is going to be ready for the commencement of the summer entertainment season? By the looks of things, there's a huge amount of restoration work to be completed, now that the supporting posts have been installed. We of course wish to thank the Town of Gravenhurst for funding, and moving this work along, and of course we assume, the remaining repairs to the rotting and removed wood, is on schedule……although it would be good to find out just what the timing will be……as Manager Fred Schulz has a lot of organizational work to do, if the platform, for whatever reason, won't be done in time for the first performances. Last summer, the Muskoka Concert Band and the Bifocals Concerts had to be held in the Rotary Pavilion. The venue worked out okay for the groups. Not as spectacular as The Barge, but a nice intimate evening of music just the same. Bless the good-hearted members of the Gravenhurst Rotary Club for creating this important park shelter, which by the way, is used almost constantly for large family gatherings, reunions, banquets, birthday parties, and anniversaries. We could use a couple more of these wonderful park facilities. Not that we're begging. But if you monitor the use of the Pavilion, you'd see just how popular it is for park users.

     What Gravenhurst Councillors may be unaware, is that the big acts that follow, beginning on Sunday, July 8th, are too big for the Rotary Pavilion, and for adequate power supply, The Barge is essential. I haven't talked to Fred recently about the danger-time-frame, but we all know it's getting close……and when the nerves start fraying, on our end, as his helpers, the manager starts early-stage pacing. I've always felt the biggest problem The Barge has suffered for years, is that so few councillors know what it means to run these summer-time concerts, with big and demanding audiences……that don't like excuses, for why a show didn't look good, start in a timely fashion, sound perfect, and go off without a hitch. From beginning to end, it is a tough job, and there are a lot of things that can and do go wrong. They don't make it to print, or the evening news, but glitches happen, and Fred and his crew, know how to turn a near-disaster, into a near-miss. Additionally, working with performers, requires tactful navigation, and the patience of a saint. The group that shows up late, takes several more days off Fred's life expectancy. Equipment problems, and failures, take off several weeks. Maybe a month. Rain. A thunderstorm approaching, we all get prepared to re-start his heart if it was to suddenly stop. This year, it will be even more difficult for Fred, because there are no alternate venues, set up, in the event of inclement weather. If it's a rain-out on The Barge, it's a rain-out altogether. If it's a light shower, for a short period of time, Fred has a small shelter to keep equipment dry, until the rain ceases. This year, patrons are asked to bring a rain coat, or cape, and possibly an umbrella, to ride-out these rain events. It might look a little like Woodstock without the nudity.

     Fred is worried about this, rain-thing, because he's always had alternate locations arranged….such as taking groups over to the former Terry Fox auditorium, at the recreation centre, or the Gravenhurst Opera House, when the auditorium was unavailable. The new Terry Fox auditorium is not a suitable alternate location for these rain-out events, because of the small seating capacity, plus the fact that it is on the second floor, and there is often heavy and bulky sound equipment to move for the performers. The elevator is fine for the public but it is not best suited for carts with amps and speakers. The Opera House venue, was used for several summers, during re-construction of the recreation centre, but it had proven too small to accommodate the large crowds wishing to attend. Patrons were pretty hard on Fred and the crew, when they found out there were no seats left, even an hour before the show was to begin. I can't print what they called Fred, and my boys, but it wasn't pretty. The crowd turned-away from some events didn't take the news well, and Fred's answering machine would start smoking with some of the statements of displeasure. You know, if they called me, I'd get back to every one of them. And not kindly. Fred is such an ambassador for this town, that he couldn't retaliate, and every response adheres to his own strict protocol, to be respectful and accommodating, understanding that disappointments inspire people to shoot from the hip. As far as public relations go, this guy should be teaching a course about dealing with the public.

     If any councillor would like to take a walk in Fred's shoes, right now, as it nears a month to "show-time," he might like the hiatus, to relax for a moment. Looking at the destroyed platform, dressing room damage, and back-stage repairs, and of course the decorative facing that has to be re-installed, it's a nervous pair of shoes…..that actually pace by themselves, they've done it so many times. Such is the life of a main stage manager. It's a pressure-cooker of a job, especially Fred's balancing act, dealing with the constant risk of inclement weather this year, knowing he has to face bad news like this every week potentially……being forced to say, "Sorry folks, the show has had to be cancelled due to bad weather." When Fred Schulz says he's sorry, he means it. He feels like he's letting us all down, even if it's God's will that it rain for awhile. So when it comes to his feelings about holes in the decking, with a month to go before the first concert, well sir, you wouldn't want to put a blood pressure cuff on the man. The bulb might blow right off.

     I hope that Councillors will make it a point, to drop down to their waterfront park, and have a look at the present condition of The Barge. If they are aware of delays, and can honestly admit, the project won't be completed by the end of June, it would be a tremendous weight off the good manager's shoulders….let me tell you. There seems to be a freeze of information from the proper sources, and the Barge Debating Society, always at Fred's beck and call, is also getting a little concerned, about the complete void of information, even in the local press, about restoration updates.  Like I wrote earlier, if it was you, having to face a large crowd, and disenchanted performers, because The Barge isn't going to be ready in time, we think you'd soon realize, being manager isn't always the sweet deal it looks like from up on the shore. So the request is this. Can someone on Town Council offer some insight, about the upcoming work schedule, to replace wood that has been removed for the installation of the iron pillars. We're grateful that it's shored-up, but deeply concerned about whether or not the big acts are going to be able to play aboard.