| Author | Message | ||
     Stephen Goodfellow (Admin) |
I have replaced the old discussion group with this powerful forum software that will allow for comprehensive flexibility. In this manner members and the public can debate and organize with greater facility. No Password is needed to interact on this topic - enjoy! | ||
| Mary LaFrance |
My opinion is that they are trying to privatize Belle Isle so they can build multi-million dollar homes and a yacht club. It all makes sense. The casinos, the new stadiums. Look at what happened to Boblo. I think the proposed new waterfront aquarium is merely a smoke screen to get people to buy into the idea of closing the old aquarium down. This is an outrage and we need to get the neighborhoods and the greater Detroit metro area involved. | ||
| Stephen Goodfellow |
Belle Isle belongs to the Citizenry. Some citizenry is just more equal than others. No, seriously - we must make sure that does not happen. | ||
| histeric prezervationist |
With all due respect, your conspiracy theory is just that...and will never happen. Belle Isle will always remain a park and Central Park is a perfect example of a park with limited commercial activities that work to support the park. Belle Isle needs to be "privatized" and cared for by a conservancy just like Central Park. Until then, it's jewels will remain at risk. The real question is how to gain control of the now lost aquarium before it is a ruin and unsavable. Proactivity and pragmatism will get us alot farther than rabble rousing and alarmist conspiracy theories. | ||
| al davis |
I live in Cleveland, Ohio, and have just learned of the plans to close your aquarium. We used to have one that was not nearly as nicely housed or as large as yours but it was allowed to basically just fall apart. Some exhibits were moved to our zoo, but that is all that is left. If we get one back in my lifetime it will be a miracle. Don't lose yours! A properly supported and maintaind aquarium is a valuable asset for your city and believe me, you will regret losing it. To state the obious, we live on a water planet and our very survival depends on healthy aquatic ecosystems. Where else can we land dwellers learn of the rich diversity of life that we may never see in the wild. Success be yours. | ||
| Michael Bartlett |
The focus is to save the aquarium. Of course the management of the rest of Belle Isle is also important, but it is not as immediate. | ||
| Anonymous |
Now that there is a "Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium" give them a chance. Let them get public support of Fund Raising Events to help cover the costs of keeping the Aquarium open. I'd pay $15 or $20 for a behind the scenes tour of the Aquarium. I'd bring my grandkids too. I'd attend some fund raising events. Can't it be saved as a Historical Site or an Environmental Program breeding endangered species? | ||
| Jennifer Boardman |
I spent the day at the aquarium, handing out flyers and trying to speak with the 1000+ people who attended, working my fish stick, and trying to motivate the people. The trout donation box overflowed and I obtained many promises of visits to the paypal section of our site. I was however, disappointed at not seeing more people from our group. I would appreciate seeing as many of you as possible, there tomorrow. I will be there in the afternoon and it would be nice if I had support. The people genuinely felt helpless. I'm hoarse from expressing how important contributions to the site are, and emails to our state officials. So, to all of you, please come to the aquarium tomorrow. Please bring more flyers and your fish sticks. Bring your smiles and motivation. I've asked the Aquarium for a tally of visitors as well as an estimate of the cash donations I witnessed. I know the numbers are significant. Let that be our motivation and fuel for our meeting with Mr. Kilpatrick. If anyone can meet me there tomorrow around 1 - please email me. | ||
| Jennifer Boardman |
Thanks to everyone who came out to the aquarium last weekend! You sent a message that the aquarium is important to us and worth saving. I met so many wonderful people. I will be back out there tomorrow and I can't wait to see new faces --- the ones who never knew there was an aquarium in Detroit, and the faces of those who have seen the aquarium, could never forget it, and had to come back! | ||
| Fish Lover |
My Mom, sister and I were down on..Sunday to rally. Its such a pity to close to Aquarium...and right now I've e-mailed almost everyone I know and am now doing a bottle collection in our neighborhood. And since we live in Novi, we're going to the meeting held there aswell... | ||
| Anonymous |
Your website is quite out-of-date. Has anybody thought about giving a status report as to what your group is up to? I would like to recommend that you do that. Many people aren't able or interested in attending your meetings and the news media doesn't seem to be following your story anymore, but perhaps that's because from the looks of this website it doesn't look like anything is going on. This is regrettable. There are still people out here who would like to see the aquarium reopen, but there just doesn't seem to be a way to feel connected anymore. Anyone have any suggestions or information? For example, what's happening with the City Council? the budget? | ||
| Stephen Goodfellow |
I have posted a status report on the front of the site. Much of the action has shifted to the mayoral race. The present administration does not want the aquarium open, whereas the two mayoral contenders have both stated that they will reopen the Aquarium. Apart from convening a board, there are not many options available to FOBIA other than waiting to see the outcome. | ||
| MARTY C. |
Regarding the statement, "apart from convening a board, there are not many options available to FOBIA other than waiting to see the outcome" of the Mayoral elections...... What is meant by this? FOBIA should definitely try to convene a board, I think people who want to see the Aquarium re-opened can do more than simply wait and see who is Mayor of Detroit after 2006. In a strict sense, this statement may be true, in that FOBIA may not engage in any partisan political activity and is not supposed to engage in too much legislative activity. However, I think that people who want to see the Aquarium re-opened should not simply wait on the outcome of the Mayoral elections. I think that a our primary tactic in trying to facilitate re-opening the Aquarium should be to get the Detroit City Council to put an advisory question on the November election ballot asking "Should the City of Detroit re-open the Belle Isle Aquarium to provide high quality, low cost family recreation and education in the City of Detroit?" Once we achieve this, we should campaign for the largest possible yes vote. It would only take five votes to do this. I think that it would do a great deal to put the Aquarium in the heart of the Mayoral and City Council election campaigns and would greatly facilitate the re-opening of the Aquarium under any new administration. Perhaps FOBIA can not do this. I'm not so sure that campaigning for an advisory referendum on a broad question such as this would even be considered legislative activity. It would be a campaign for allowing and encouraging the voters of Detroit to express their opinion on the issue. I'm not sure that's "legislative," although encouraging a yes vote would, of course, imply endorsement of eventual executive and legislative action. We should get legal opinions on this. In any case, I strongly believe such a campaign should be waged by whoever has to do it. It might be as easy as lobbying the most receptive city council members. Or it might take some petitions with a few thousand signatures and attendance at a council meeting by 10 or 20 Detroiters to get over the hump, or at least get a vote on the matter. To repeat, it only takes five votes. That vote can be as late as seventy (70) days before the election. The general election is November 8, 2005 Therefore, the city council could do this as late as August 29, 2005. I suppose it would be better to strive for July 1, before the August 2, 2005, primary. Then, candidates in the primary could be asked their position on the question which would be on the ballot in November. This leaves the rest of May and June to try to make this happen. A variety of activities could be organized to achieve this goal, such as collecting signatures on a petition, having a rally and bbq, having a music concert inside or outside, etc. I think that this would be much better than just waiting to see who the next Mayor is while trying to constitute a board which definitely should be done. | ||
| Stephen Goodfellow |
Hi Marty, Email me with the expanded update. Please call it "Web update" I'll place it on the site. |
