FHS91 Is Right

Yesterday, after I expressed some apprehension about over-inflated expectations for CoCo Key, FHS91 said it was going to be OK. That it was awesome.

He's right.

I had a blast, and both the 5-year-old and 3-year-old are currently on the couch, about to pass out from an extraordinarily good -- but exhausting -- time. Expectations met, indeed.

First, the kid report: The 5-year-old is a bit of a scaredy cat, and avoided the big slides that run outside (more on those later). The 3-year-old was bitterly disappointed when he was turned away. But beyond those minor setbacks, they had a blast.

Probably Fun Thing #1 was the giant bucket of water that tipped over every five minutes (that's the 5-year-old ready for a soaking in the photo above. But there was a ton of fun stuff around there, including smaller slides both kids liked, water cannons that were fun on both ends, and a variety of things that go splish and splash. They had a blast there.

There was a deeper swimming pool that gave the 5-year-old a chance to work on swimming without a life jacket, and the 3-year-old had good times jumping in and swimming to the toy snake in the middle.

For the kids, it was water, slide, and water shooting and splashing everywhere. What's not to love?

Here's a look at the slides both spent a lot of time on, which were in shooting distance of one of the water cannons.



Here's a look at one of the items that dumps water on the person pulling on the rope. So simple, so much fun.



From the adult standpoint, it was a great time playing with the kids. I found the splash area far more fun than the swimming pool, but probably only because I didn't become fully engaged with the basketball hoops. That could have been ridiculously fun.

I managed to squirm away from the kids to get down one of the bigger rides. Just the thought of starting inside, sliding outside, and finishing inside is very cool to the inner child.

I took an inner tube with me. There are two tube slides and one body slide. At the top, the lifeguard told me one was darker than the other. I took the dark one. Which on a rainy afternoon means pitch black. It was very, very cool. Sign me up for more of that.

The lifeguards are all nice enough, and stick by the rules, which is a positive for parents (although not for 3-year-olds). There were about 100 people there, 150 tops, so it wasn't crowded at all, which was very nice. Or there were a lot more people there and it spreads out well. There's an A&W/Pizza Hut food stand that's a little limited, and a bar. That area looks like this (food on the right, bar in the background):



I know there's been grumbling about the cost, and at $40 a throw, it is expensive. But the place isn't designed to be a community pool where you stop by occassionally or regularly to hang out. Water Country ain't cheap, either. But I know the Connecticut one (in Waterbury) was promoting a $199 annual pass. If that happens in Fitchburg, it would be well worth the cost. I think annual passes would be a good move in terms of building up some community goodwill (although so far all signs are that they are rolling on working in and around the community), but I'm not sure where that stands.

Either way, at some point we'll be back. There's too much fun to be hand just around the corner. Just like FHS91 said.

Tomorrow There Will Be Water Slides

Slowly, folks are starting to get a look at CoCo Key (Damn you and your early playtime, FSC91. Damn you.). And by "starting to get a look at," I mean they get to play on the water slides.

Tomorrow afternoon, they're opening the joint up to the online media. That's me! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'll be bringing along Save Fitchburg Thing 1 and Thing 2, and we're fired up, ready to go.

When we're done toweling off, high-fiving, and screaming "awesome," (or whatever happens) I'll post some pictures, descriptions, and some commentary here. Might not be until evening, but from all reports, it'll be worth the wait. At this point, from what I've seen via photos, plus scattered reports, plus my child-like love of water parks, my expectations are sky-high. I wonder if I'll be disappointed. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Here Comes CoCo Key

Maybe I've just been too focused on it, maybe I pay too much attention to these things, maybe it's because it's everywhere, but it seems like CoCo Key is going to be a major deal in the region.

In the last month or so, they've been everywhere. They were at the mall earlier this month, they were in Rutland last week, and CoCo was nesting in the Upper Common last weekend. Everywhere you turn around, CoCo Key is there. And whatever they're doing, it's working. Everyone knows about it, and everyone is ready for it. I took a bunch of Prides to a Sterling school in October, and every fourth-grader in the room knew exactly what CoCo Key was all about. And their visibility has only increased since then.

CoCo Key is ready to open Dec. 17. There's a VIP event the day before (featuring Gervais Peterson. You know. From the first "Survivor." Or maybe you don't). If you're up at the hotel, it looks pretty darn cool from the outside. Where the heck was this 30 years ago?

Without a doubt, expect to hear a lot of CoCo Key news locally over the next month or so. The question, however, is in the long term. It doesn't seem like the kind of company that would target an iffy area. It certainly is operating like the kind of company that knows what's doing (based on its massive, professional PR effort and its timeliness in construction). But will it thrive in Fitchburg? Will it put Fitchburg on the map? Will it lead to more business in that neck of the woods? Will they offer residents annual passes? (The answer from what I can tell is no, but it's the question I get first and repeatedly.)

Anyway, it's worth noting that CoCo Key comes barreling into town in two weeks. You won't be able to hide from it for too much longer.

CoCo Key Opens on ...

Although it seems like there's been an endless list of bad news regarding the economy in general and Fitchburg in particular, there is some good news. CoCo Key is opening up soon. The indoor water park may even offer some kind of discount for Fitchburg residents. You can find out when the park is scheduled to open, see some photos, and more by going here. Did you really think I was going to tell you here?

And while I'm pimping the website, it's worth noting, again, that you really should sign up for e-mail news alert updates. You're missing so, so much. Go to the link above, click on "Get News Updates," and you'll start getting notices when we're doing stuff not in the paper. I won't use your e-mail address for other stuff. Promise.

Ready for Change

Jan. 7 can't really get here fast enough.

The time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is traditionally a slow one, but throw in the upcoming change in administrations, and it is really pretty quiet right now.

Sure, the mayor and the City Council continue to squabble and point fingers over financial issues, but quite honestly, I'm pretty bored of all that at this point, and it's as much grandstanding as substance right now. It's also kind of reactive and loose-end tying at this point -- not much in terms of proactive or building momentum at this point.

In the meantime, Lisa Wong sits on the sidelines, waiting to get into the game. She faces sky-high expectations, but also has with her the promise of a New Fitchburg. Change won't happen overnight, but consider what's ahead: A new police chief (which might happen before Jan. 7), getting a handle on city finances, butting heads with the union, maybe cutting some jobs, getting the '09 budget ready, drum up some business downtown, figure out how to get windmills into the city (and, hand-in-hand, take on Unitil), keep CoCo Key moving, figure out whether or not fast-track permitting is a good idea (and get some industrial development into the city), jam a trash fee into the city (her plan on this is a good one), try to find a way to upgrade the schools quickly, and continue the drumbeat that Fitchburg is a city on the rise. There's probably somewhere between 2 and 2,002 other important things that I'm leaving off this list.

The problem is, it's tough for Wong to start really working on any of these things, or at least publicly start laying out her plans. She doesn't have the bully pulpit of the Mayor's Office yet. She doesn't have the job and the resources that come with it. She's meeting with tons of people, and starting to figure it all out. But the fact of the matter is she isn't mayor yet, and can't really start doing the job. In the meantime, Mylott might try to go out with a few nice victories, but he can't make too many major decisions without at least consulting Wong. Big decisions he makes now will be owned by her, really.

So, we're in a little bit of a no-man's land right now. The current mayor is certainly a lame duck, and the incoming mayor can't really spread her wings just yet. This coming on the heels of a year's worth of fantastic electoral politics is kind of a downer. But at least the council presidency is still out there to discuss. Sort of. Kind of. Jan. 7 can't get here fast enough.

Twelve Hours to Glory

Fitchburg is at an interesting crossroads. While there is a lot of good things going on -- downtown development is moving forward (Kang Yu excluded), new housing is going up all around Route 2, a major tourist attraction is on the way (CoCo Key), and events like this past summer's Civic Days that packed the streets -- there's that silly little budget problem that just keeps getting bigger.

Today, voters get the chance to decide which path Fitchburg will follow. In just a few minutes, the polls will open (and stay open until 8 p.m.) as the city chooses its leadership for the next two years. But the decisions those people make might last a generation, even more, as a city beginning to rebound tries to consolidate its momentum.

So, obviously, go vote today.

And, follow the proceedings here and at the Fitchburg Pride website. We're going to brave the elements shortly and have a story and photos online this morning from the polls. Probably weather-related, as it's likely the story of the morning. (If you're the type who likes it dry, the rain should be over mid-afternoon, according to weather.com). We'll obviously have game-night coverage this evening. The Pride website was first with the winners in the preliminary, and we have every intention of trying to be first again tonight.

Here at Save Fitchburg, we'll be following the day the best we can, based on phone calls, e-mails and comments. Stop by and tell us what you see at the polls. Big crowd? Little crowd? Buzz around any candidates? Sneak a peek at the counter on your ballot box. Remember, the news of the big turnout during the preliminary was established pretty early on here last time. Let's do it again today. This post will be updated throughout the day, and this is the perfect spot to put in your comments. If you're on the ballot and want to schmooze for a few more votes, here's the time. And when it's all said and done, there will some anaylsis here late in the evening -- call it an election night nightcap, if you will.

And, finally, check out FATV from 7 to 9 p.m. I'll be on with a cast of thousands -- including some candidates -- as the results come in.

That's it for the promotion and the scene-setting. The game starts in about 10 minutes. Go get 'em.

Update, 9:05 a.m. -- You can read about today's election, with color and information from the early-morning activity, at the Fitchburg Pride website. Go right to the story through this link.

A Slide Upward

Since the early days of the old Save Fitchburg, I've advocated for that one big idea. That one thing that would be unique to Fitchburg in the region, something that would bring people into the city -- preferably in some kind of participatory fashion.

It appears as of one of the "big ideas" is on the path to reality, and it's probably the best, most exciting news since the SF started.

The city is working with a developer on creating an indoor water park at the Best Western on the interchange of Routes 2 and 31. It's the kind of regional attraction that Fitchburg -- and any city -- would kill for.

The developer wants to buy the property and boost the hotel's numbers (which are at like 30 percent occupancy) with a year-round water slide park. A similar park was opened by the same company recently in Danvers.

The city is working on a tax financing package and some permitting issues, but so far most folks feel like this moving forward.

The park alone is a great step forward for the city. Consider the possibilities however -- perhaps a block of family-friendly restaurants nearby, a trickle-down into downtown and the rest of the city -- and this project is as clost to a must-do as you can find right now.

There will be criticisms. Joel Kaddy aired neighbors' concerns about traffic and noise. Considering it's all of a couple hundred yards from the exit, hopefully this isn't a major stumbling block. There will probably be some permitting and construction issues. The city should make sure those issues are cleared up and figured out quickly, but correctly. Finally, residents need to get over the knee-jerk cynicism and doubt that currently is inbred in Fitchburg. Someone wants to come here and open a sizable business. Let's not navel-gaze, let's make it happen.

This is exciting stuff, even for the most crusty Fitchburgite. It's a big step forward not just for the city, but for building the momentum of making progress in Fitchburg.