Everyone has heard the worn-out expression, “It’s a diamond in the rough.”
Remember, that was what the Augusta Commissioners decided the neglected and falling-apart Boathouse at the Marina was. Even with a private investor knowing the property needed over a million dollars in repairs to bring it back to a sound structure, the majority (six) of the commission would not even consider a fair market offer.
Instead, they voted to tear the Boathouse down.
The investor was and is a very successful restaurateur. He owns and operates restaurants here in Augusta, as well as the city in South Carolina where he resides.
Just think of how nice it would have been to have a themed sit-down restaurant with full service down on the riverfront.
Oh well, that’s the commission for you.
With that said, let us visit another “hidden jewel,” Lake Olmstead. The reason why I say hidden is because if you are not at the water’s edge you only get a quick glimpse of the lake as you drive or walk by.
The overgrown and unkept brush, trees and bushes hide the beautiful serenity of the lake. As you drive by on Broad Street, Washington Road or Lakeshore at the far end of the lake, the view is only seen briefly.
In fact, the multi-thousand dollar LED sign can’t be clearly seen because of the growth of bushes and trees in front and back of it.
The sidewalks along Broad Street and Milledge Road are unpleasant to walk along because of the low hanging limbs and the untrimmed bushes protruding into the walk space.
The sidewalk that is along Lakeshore Loop is so unmaintained it mostly is unwalkable. In fact, a gentleman who lives in the Lakemont neighborhood loves to visit the Lake Olmstead Park, as well as the Canal Trailhead. The issue is, he has to use his wheel chair in the street because the sidewalk is too neglected to use. That is totally unacceptable, as well as unsafe.
When the lake was created back in 1870, it was soon to become the mecca of Augusta. Boat houses lined the banks with boaters slowly rowing across the lake. In the evenings, it was an ideal place for young couples to gently drift along on the serene surface talking sweet nothings and planning their future together.
At one time the park even had a small zoo with residents the likes of monkeys, alligators and exotic birds. One could even listen to the sounds of the roaming peacocks as they called to each other.
Over time, all of that disappeared.
Yes, there was still a lot of activity happening at the lake even after the peacocks flew the roost. Once, you could water ski on the lake. In fact, there was a ski jump ramp that stayed anchored in the lake for many years. There were ski shows held and jumping competitions held. But that too disappeared.
The Professional Disc Golf Championships were held at the lake course in 2006. I have to wonder why that stopped. The Lake Olmstead disc course is one of the best anywhere to be found.
These days, it is somewhat disheartening to see the disc golfers on the course with the grass halfway to their knees.
The Olmstead Stadium that could have been saved and refurbished for outdoor concerts was allowed to fall into decay. Even after the city spent nearly $100,000 on a new beer deck and service bar. Now, it sits still decaying and somewhat dismantled because of a contract with an outside promotion company.
The “take it as is” contract went south in a hurry after the center section of seats were removed. It seemed that the ground couldn’t hold the weight of the sound and light towers they were going to put in place. After promoting big acts with big prices for Masters week and taking advance sales, the only tune that could be heard playing was, “take this job and shove it.”
C4 Live Entertainment sued the city, and the city sued them back, I am told. The stadium again sits in limbo with city leaders stating they can’t do anything because of the lawsuit. But asking, is it because the city can’t or won’t?
Once outside the backside of the stadium by the street stood a granite monument to a gentleman by the name of Kermit Radford. He was once a director for the Chafee Park Gymnasium. For those that don’t know where this was located, it was located in the heart of Harrisburg where the Kroc Center sits today.
This gentleman was said to have bought, out of his own pocket, shoes for the boys and girls that didn’t have them because their parents couldn’t afford them. He taught them the value of teamwork and fair play in all things by using sports as a teaching tool.
Many, many people from Harrisburg wanted the monument relocated to the back edge of the Kroc Center field by the canal where the old gym stood. They thought that was a more fitting place than by the road at the stadium.
When Parks and Recreation Director Maurice McDowell was asked for it to be moved, he stated it would take a lot of money to move it, and he made it pretty clear that he did not care who Kermit Radford was and didn’t want to be bothered with moving the monument.
One night it was there, but when the light of day rose, the monument was gone.
No one seems to know what happened to it or where it’s at. It is just another mystery in the Augusta government.
The A.L. Williams Park located on Broad Street adjacent to the rundown, dilapidated, trashy and boarded up Renaissance Apartments also stands in disrepair.
The park is the playground and social gathering spot for many Harrisburgers. The children come to play and the adults come to pass the time of day or early evening. Several park benches adorn the grounds, there is a grill for cook outs and a picnic shed to shelter from the elements with a picnic table.
It could be a nice little park and It would be if the Parks and Recreation director would fix the holes in the roof of the shelter. Instead, he evidently directed someone to remove the picnic table and place a chain link fence around the shelter, much like he did concerning the Boat House as well as areas of Riverwalk.
Any handy man or woman could replace the entire roof of that shelter for $2,500 and be done in a day. But Augusta has to go through the Procurement Department. That way it will jack up the cost to around $25,000 and more cronies get a piece of the money pie.
Sometimes you just have to drain the pond and restock it. The Augusta government needs to be drained and restocked with good and honest leadership and department directors.
In my estimation, there are five department directors that really need to go, but it seems they are protected by certain commissioners.
A good place to start however would be with Parks and Recreation. With the errant way with which that department is operated, the director having to settle a discrimination suit against him and nothing but excuses, he needs to be terminated and replaced with someone that is actually qualified to perform the job requirements. Harsh, yes, but a known fact.
Folks, as always, you just can’t make this stuff up.
