Everglades Holiday Park -

[OTTER]

Back in the news again - Sun Sentinel article and video...Interesting

Seems they are making 3 million dollars a year selling hotdogs and cokes At least the county parks director is stating that on the record.....

Smell a RAT on this one - and i believe that he's been dead and stinking for awhile

The county is BROKE and they are into putting $$$ into something that they have NO Experience in doing....

Everybody should take notice and ante up when the appropriate time comes, and proceed in a PROFESSIONAL MANNER.. In such a way their are not expecting...
Nothing bad in the video BUT the vid definitely accomplished what they set out to do, and paint a picture of who and whats at stake here...Trapped those boys right there on camera.
They should take lessons from Casey Anthony.

[Rich Andrews]

got a link..

[SWAMPCRACKER85]

Here's a link to topic.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/videogaller ... -the-parks

[OTTER]

Broward Politics - Sun Sentinel blog

Broward section

Sorry the link wont post

PS - Ur turtles are ready, Rich

[broncobill]

So any word on whats up! Haven't been there in a while boat is still down but getting close to being completed if there is such a thing. Heard camping was gone. Also heard airboat concession got a new 20 year lease. I guess they will soon charge to launch boat . But that's what happens when the northerners (to be politically correct do when in office). What's the difference between a Yankee and a Dam Yankee? A Yankee visits and then goes home A Dam Yankee stays.

[radtech]

Never seen it in the news up here in GA, but have followed it watching GAtor boys on tv for quite awhile. Seems they are working towards taking the place over entirely and putting them out of business?? Always loved that show and wanted to visit. Guess they sre gonna wind up in Mississippi permanently?

[Dan Coffey]

The place had turned into an arm pit and the county has been pumping money into it and is making the place a great park. They are contracting out the attractions.
There will be a nice campground and also cabins to rent.

[emmitt Kelly]

Airboat cowboy mike and I wanted to go there when the r.v. park opens...when I called the person that answered the phone
told me to check back later.

we are looking for an r.v. park that we can put our airboats in...the the everglades with a good GPS of course!! ...that is what
we are looking for...hope they get their ducks in a row ...

[Dan Coffey]

The change over is just taking place. The new restrooms are being built and the new slabs for the RVs are being poured. They are still a few months out but its coming along.

[Scarecrow]

Emmitt, never been there myself , but from what I hear you can,t beat Mack,s Fish Camp and the Jones brothers for hospitality. I,m sure someone that,s been there will 2nd that. GOOD LUCK

[aherr520]

sounds like it will be nice, I grew up fishing and boating there I spent almost everyday in the summer there fishing the back pond. they would give me the dead shiners and i would catch catfish and mudfish all day, now I don't get down there that much anymore like I want to I'm going to try this summer to spend a week or so and do some airboating

[KR23]

Another horrible plan by a local government, Spending money they don’t have on something they don’t need.

[Eric Kimmel]

If it was uup to commissione Wexler the place would be closed already and no folks would be living thre
At the public meetings the first one thre were a lot of upset regulars to Holiday park and she took ofencse at the type of people speaking up on losg this historcial traditional lace.
I tried to speak with her and she ran from me like I had the Plague she thinks we are all low class trash and that the Gladema culture is not worty.
I sent copies to her of the Resolution that we had worked on with Monroe County that officially recognized the Gladesman Culture but she refused any meetings to discuss anything of the sort with us.

Bergoron has proposed some good ideas with a museum for the culture but the rest of the ideas take from the culture and turns Holiday park into another theme park for tourists which is partially a good thing if it did not have such an adverse effect on the traditional uses,
There were numerous complaints about the lease holder who I thought was dong the best he can and I still support but today's Westenonite Yuppie wealthier new folks who have invaded and built up what was once Everglades have decided they are a better class of people than the original visitor, do not like the atmosphere provided and want to sanitize the park into something that does not even come close to what we have grown up with.
I do agree it needed some cleaning up as does any aging facility but to me the whole plan is discriminatory to the Gladesman Culture and more about bringing more money for the County to waste on their own mismanaged budget policies and pet projects now that the County has built over all of its properties and now have set their eyes on the last piece of land folks had some freedom in.
Fees for launching gate closures to prevent 24 7 accessThose who hunt and fish will now be on a clock unless that part of the plan has already been addressed
I have not kept up on the plans there but after atteding 3 meeting on it and Wexler refusing to discuss any option of cultural recognition or traditional uses I could see it was not going to be good
I can only hope Bergeron can influence some leeway for access and allow yearlong camping for the boat operators/ maintenance mechanics and so on who live on very low wages and without a place to live won't be able to maintain a glademan way of life.
Monroe County at least recognized the Gladesman Culture but Broward County only cares about money and image
Wexler also said a few other derogatory things about those who spoke up and tried to get broward to leave Holiday Park alone So I hope the Voters in Broward remember that she is some kind of elitist who thinks very low of those who wanted to keep our traditional uses and livelihoods alive.

[Dan Coffey]

Eric,
I appreciate all the work you do but to say Holiday Park was the Gladesman Culure is BS it had turned into almost a squatter camp. It was disgusting, and how much more of a "Theme Park" can they make it? Probably close to 500K tourist go there every year on airboat tours and alligator wrestling.

Soon it will be a nice place to take you family camp and airboat.

[KR23]

Keep believing that Dan, soon you’ll have to pay to go in and leave before the sun goes down.

[Eric Kimmel]

yes some of the campers were less desirable But again who the hell has the right to put down a person of less wealth who scrapes by doing odd jobs or maintenance for a concession some of the squatters as some people call them are hardworking poor folks who don't fit in in town like many of us were who lived on Loop Road and sure mixed in this bunch might be some folks who are no good just like anywhere in town so lets hang them all out to dry My father lived in a shack with a dirt floor on the miami river right after ww2 so I guess he would have been the type of person to be run out of his home because he was of less wealth. He earned enough there to buy a real home but with the mentality of those that call the folks squatters he would not have had the chance so before you judge a class of folks think about where people come and how they got there some may be just dumb a55 drunkards or some may have made bad financial decisions some may just not want to fit into or subjugate themselves to todays standards of hypocrisy , greed and be a slave to the dollar
So who the hell gives anyone the right to judge a persons way of life if they are not hurting anyone. Who the heck is so perfect that they have the right to pick on or bully those who don't wish to live as a slave to corporate america.

the plans for the park had everything from balloon rides boardwalks out into the area on the south that would have prevented us from dropping airboats and tracks on the south side
The restroom facilities have gone into disrepair as well as the buildings but the alternatives being pushed will heavily regulate who, when and how they access the areas
Holiday Park in itself did represent some of the Glademan cultural values not all of them.
Bergeron had some good ideas for improving the area
But the point I was trying to get across is that the Broward County Commission especially one of the ones with the most influence considered all the regular users not just what some folks consider riff raff will not take into consideration the historical use of the area which did include the concession but the plans called for all types of concessions which would hurt the long time users
I don't have the file on the project anymore but there was a lot of BS in it that will hurt hunters, froggers, fishermen and push those interest aside for a homogenized type experience that has happened all over the country.
Balloon rides, bikeing tours, boardwalks loss of access to the south curfews, gates, no more 24,7 access is not something I agree with

[emmitt Kelly]

Emmitt, never been there myself , but from what I hear you can,t beat Mack,s Fish Camp and the Jones brothers for hospitality. I,m sure someone that,s been there will 2nd that. GOOD LUCK

thanks for the info..

[Eric Kimmel]

Keith and Marshall are great guys and our family has always had fun at Macks

[460 FULLTRACK]

I normally don't get into a conservation on this forum since facts are almost thrown to the wayside. First of all, the video was is over two years old. Yes the park was taken over by Broward Parks. Yes, Wexler is kind of snobby. But since then, I have had many conversations with the new manager. He is involved with the CEPP project since it will affect the park. The 24/7 access issue has been addressed. The park will always have that access. As far as an entrance fee, how can you bitch about 1.50$ fee when you're pulling up in your high priced bassboat, airboat, Harley, etc, that you just put 100$ worth of gas, many cans of beer, food, and whatever else you need for the day.By the way, they don't charge now and until they can afford to build an entrance gate, they wont be. They have to work with what money the park makes now. The manager is well aware of what it takes to run a park, he did it for many years down at John Pennekamp. He knows that the park needs to attract locals as well as the tourists that come off the cruise ships.
The current concessionaire has been awarded the contract and is in the process of building new tour boats. Obviously, there's money to be made or he wouldn't be investing that kind of money. Eric, the issue of launching to the south has been addressed, but you wont see any construction for a while. The construction has mainly been to bring the bldg up to ADA standards.
And finally, Bergeron wanted to put a museum at the site to celebrate Gladesmen culture, but has pulled back for various reasons.

[Eric Kimmel]

Holiday Park defiantly needed some cleaning & updating just did not care for the original proposals. I thought the museum might have been good

Also having worked in maintenance being able to live on site would have been a plus considering the low pay. One arboat ride vendor 's drivers only gets 8 bucks an hr plus tips sounds great during the season but he also expects many hours of maintenance on the boats and the property hopefully whomever got the contract will pay a Little better. Its tough to live on 64 bucks a day

thanks

[broncobill]

I would gladly pay $1.50 to know that my truck was safe. But I think that would just snow ball over time. I think the county needs to do some more detective work on the alley to ensure that our vehicles are safe at all boat ramps. With all the cameras everywhere why is this happening on the alley with no arrests.

[wilemotorsports]

Mitch quit putting money in it a long time ago because he knew his lease was going to be up one day and that the county wanted it back Mitch is also the man that made it what it is today

[newoldglory]

I would gladly pay $1.50 to know that my truck was safe. But I think that would just snow ball over time. I think the county needs to do some more detective work on the alley to ensure that our vehicles are safe at all boat ramps. With all the cameras everywhere why is this happening on the alley with no arrests.

It's not in the counties interest for a hand full of airboaters.

[bwright]

I normally don't get into a conservation on this forum since facts are almost thrown to the wayside. First of all, the video was is over two years old. Yes the park was taken over by Broward Parks. Yes, Wexler is kind of snobby. But since then, I have had many conversations with the new manager. He is involved with the CEPP project since it will affect the park. The 24/7 access issue has been addressed. The park will always have that access. As far as an entrance fee, how can you bitch about 1.50$ fee when you're pulling up in your high priced bassboat, airboat, Harley, etc, that you just put 100$ worth of gas, many cans of beer, food, and whatever else you need for the day.By the way, they don't charge now and until they can afford to build an entrance gate, they wont be. They have to work with what money the park makes now. The manager is well aware of what it takes to run a park, he did it for many years down at John Pennekamp. He knows that the park needs to attract locals as well as the tourists that come off the cruise ships.
The current concessionaire has been awarded the contract and is in the process of building new tour boats. Obviously, there's money to be made or he wouldn't be investing that kind of money. Eric, the issue of launching to the south has been addressed, but you wont see any construction for a while. The construction has mainly been to bring the bldg up to ADA standards.
And finally, Bergeron wanted to put a museum at the site to celebrate Gladesmen culture, but has pulled back for various reasons.

Well said thanks John I would also like to thank everybody who attended meetings back then that's the reason why we made a difference To ensure a better future

[Gary S]

I would gladly pay $1.50 to know that my truck was safe. But I think that would just snow ball over time. I think the county needs to do some more detective work on the alley to ensure that our vehicles are safe at all boat ramps. With all the cameras everywhere why is this happening on the alley with no arrests.

It would start at $1.50 and increase every year.
As far as the alley goes it could be like Dade county. They closed almost every fresh water ramp in dade county.