What's up with the (drained) Friendship Fountain?

Pavers · September 19, 2007, 01:19:33 PM

Does anyone know what the deal is with the Friendship Fountain? On Monday night, the fountain was totally empty (and a peek from my office window reveals it is still empty now). Is maintenance/repairs being completed? For how long? Does anyone have the scoop? It's quite an eyesore when drained and inoperative.

Jason · September 19, 2007, 03:27:37 PM

Its been drained before. I'm pretty sure its maintenance related. Maybe painting, cleaning out the "wishes", replacing the water, or working on the jets/lighting.

Got to get it in tip top shape for the FSU/Alamaba and Florida/Georgia games!

copperfiend · September 19, 2007, 03:43:50 PM

Don't forget the Jags have a Monday Night Football home game next month.

Pavers · September 19, 2007, 04:53:52 PM

Well, that all makes sense to me, given the three high-profile games within a one-month span.

BTW, kudos to the person/people who came up with the FSU-Bama idea. Brilliant. I wonder if a similar game involving Clemson could be put together. If it were up to the Gator Bowl, methinks they'd invite Clemson every year if they could. Those Tigers travel!

Jason · September 19, 2007, 05:08:26 PM

Do we still have the AFC Championship game or did it move this year?

thelakelander · September 19, 2007, 05:09:19 PM

I don't know about Clemson, but they were trying to get Notre Dame to play a game in town.

thelakelander · September 19, 2007, 05:10:07 PM

Quote from: Jason on September 19, 2007, 05:08:26 PM
Do we still have the AFC Championship game or did it move this year?

We have the ACC Championship game this year. If it does not sell out we'll probably lose it.

copperfiend · September 19, 2007, 05:12:20 PM

Quote from: Pavers on September 19, 2007, 04:53:52 PM
Well, that all makes sense to me, given the three high-profile games within a one-month span.

BTW, kudos to the person/people who came up with the FSU-Bama idea. Brilliant. I wonder if a similar game involving Clemson could be put together. If it were up to the Gator Bowl, methinks they'd invite Clemson every year if they could. Those Tigers travel!

Atlanta is working on a Clemson-Alabama game for 2008. It was mentioned that Catlett and the GBA was talking about a Navy game here.

02roadking · September 19, 2007, 05:16:35 PM

Quote from: Pavers on September 19, 2007, 04:53:52 PM
Well, that all makes sense to me, given the three high-profile games within a one-month span.

BTW, kudos to the person/people who came up with the FSU-Bama idea. Brilliant. I wonder if a similar game involving Clemson could be put together. If it were up to the Gator Bowl, methinks they'd invite Clemson every year if they could. Those Tigers travel!

It was these guys http://www.gatorbowl.com/ who put it together. You may see Clemson here at the ACC Championship game December 1

thelakelander · September 19, 2007, 05:25:02 PM

Clemson??? Unless Boston College falls a part, participating in the ACC championship game looks like a long shot for the Tigers.

copperfiend · September 19, 2007, 06:00:21 PM

The matchup for 2008 would be FSU-Navy. The matchup Catlett is working on for 2009 is Notre Dame against an unnamed team from the southeast.

big ben · September 19, 2007, 06:37:53 PM

Quote from: Jason on September 19, 2007, 03:27:37 PM
Its been drained before. I'm pretty sure its maintenance related. Maybe painting, cleaning out the "wishes", replacing the water, or working on the jets/lighting.

You can't just clean out these. They're somebody else's wishes, someone else's dreams.

Oh my · September 19, 2007, 07:14:45 PM

The draining is for cleaning and coin removal....city is trying to balance the budget. Johney has a good friend that has a coin removal company.

If you look closely when it is turned back on you'll see that only 1 of the three rings are in operation. The two have been down for over two years waiting on a decision from the Mayors Office on its future. The Mayor want to demolish it and put Kids Kampus in its place. I believe what they are doing is waiting for the third system to break so they have a good excuse to demolish it. One might know that the original repair cost for the other two rings was $86,000, far less than what it will cost to move Kids Kampus...but then again money is no object, he'll just tack a dollar onto one of his new fees.

Seraphs · September 19, 2007, 08:30:26 PM

Rather simple maintenance, or major renovation friendship fountain must remain the landmark it is.

Ocklawaha · September 19, 2007, 08:31:39 PM

Why can't the little fellow at City Hall, think in terms of having it all? Why does it always have to be the old "my way or Trailways" game?

I think it would be cool to have a interactive kids fountain in the park. Anyone that trys and take down the Friendship Fountain, ought to be tossed off the riverwalk in a season when the bull sharks are having pups. So why not do BOTH? Why not surround the original Friendship Fountain, with a huge circle of interactive play fountains. Would that be fun or what? At night the kids fountains could turn off and the original could shoot it's multi-colored streams toward the heavens once again.

If only I were king for a day...
Trolleys in every garage
A new even bigger restored fountain
Hippie Mountain

Ocklawaha