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Locals Only: FOTR
And how about a smiley face in the middle of the thing?
“Why are people so friendly here?” my visiting brother-in-law recently asked me.
Indeed, aside from City Council meetings, folks around here do tend to be quite friendly. They are so affable that they don’t just embrace visitors and each other; no, these local North Beachers organize, and befriend all sorts of things.
There’s the Friends of the Library, Friends of the Clinic, Friends of the Beach and Citizens for Balanced Growth; I like to think of them as “Friends of the Weatherwax.”
With this in mind, I would like to start a new group:
Friends of the Roundabout.
I know, I know, some people think a no-stop traffic circle at Chance a la Mer and Point Brown Avenue is the worst idea City Council has ever approved. I disagree, with three words: ozone water treatment.
In any case, as it seems as inevitable as that distant train slowing getting closer, why make this Roundabout feel like an outcast, once it hits town? I say we roll out the red Street LID (or carpet, whatever is handy and in the red) and make the Big Circle feel welcome.
Friends of the Roundabout is seeking volunteers to:
*Rescue stranded tourists “lost in the circle”
*Figure out the complex (circular?) funding
*Coach drivers to “slow down, don’t stop!”
*Escort pedestrians through the no-crosswalk intersection
Volunteers must be committed, know CPR and speak legalese. Experience with deficit spending and/or North Beach Tow on speed dial a plus. Those with high blood pressure and/or prone to dizziness not encouraged to apply.
We are also seeking an aggressive, forward-thinking individual to launch the Roundabout 500. This will be an annual race around the Big Circle with various categories, pitting the likes of: go-karts vs. golf carts; ambulances vs. cop cars; horses vs. bikers; and, of course, mopeds vs. Harleys.
Additionally, a business-oriented person or persons are being recruited to tap into the virtually limitless commercial opportunities of this new superstar. As Ocean Shores does not have big athletic stadiums with naming rights, this is the perfect chance to score sponsorship. McRoundabout? RoundAcebout?
The business team might also look at opportunities for small businesses. We already have a Carousel Ice Cream, why not sell them on the idea of being located right in the Roundabout, with spinning mechanical horses for the kids and drive-through ice cream for the circular drivers? If for some odd reason the folks at Carousel don’t bite, surely the Peppermint Parlour ice cream shop and BJ’s Fun Center could figure out some Roundabout ride with treats.
Come to think of it, the top of the Space Needle has a “rotating restaurant,” so why not have a Bravo’s Pizza or a Sand Castle Drive In spinning inside the Roundabout?
Or maybe it’s time to think big, really big. Since the historic Ocean Shores Golf Course has for years “played through” the center of the city, here’s a “take it to the next level” suggestion:
Move the 18th hole, right to the center of the Roundabout.
I’ll leave the FOTR to iron out details, and decide which ideas to pursue . . .
. . . Meanwhile, for the North Beach: How about a Friends of the Merc?
A great kick-off would be a Halloween party, turning it into a haunted house.
Wouldn’t take much work.
The draw back to the roundabout is in this state, as in Washington,
the drivers seem to have no idea how to navigate them. While popular in other countries, like Massachusetts, they’ve been using the dread roundabout for 60 years or more. Everyone knows that you still use that funny blinking light thingy on each side of the car to let other people know your intentions…
There are roundabouts in Washington already, and I’ve driven through them, and lets just say I’m not confident that the typical Washingtonian can master them without a great deal of training…
So lets do a little primmer on roundabout etiquette,
If you enter the roundabout with the intention of turning right, as in using just 90* of the circle, use your right turn signal…
If you enter the roundabout with the intention of going straight,
as in using 180* of the circle, no signal is required…
If you enter the roundabout with the intention of going left, as in using 270* of the circle, use your left turn signal…
This isn’t difficult, and if this abomination is constructed, I’d suggest finding other ways around it on the weekends…
SteveL
I think the answer to the problem is an over pass for Pt. Brown, and under pass for Chance Ala Mer. Folks going over and under would not have to stop. The left turn for Pt. Brown to Chance would go behind IGA all the way to Dolphin where a left to Chance can be made. None of the right turns at the over/under pass would have stop signs. The left turn from Chance to Pt. Brown would be a free right turn, left behind IGA and left on Dolphin,left on Chance and back tp Pt. Brown for a free right turn. Stops at IGA and the Post Office,for tourists, would require an “E” ticket,purchased at the entry of Ocean Shores. Local will just get along fine the way we always do.
You forgot that we are a democratic republic. That means that the majority do not rule. They only get to select others that rule. The rule here is that you can not take any politicians by their word. That is the only constant in either form of democracy. I think we should have dirt car races on Friday nights there. Then Drag Racing on the runways at the airport. If we charge to race and attend, we may see some actual return on our investments.
I’m figuring out routes whereas I can get to the post office and IGA without going on that cursed round forever.
What ever happened to democracy in Ocean Shore? I thought majority rules but it doesn’t seem to apply to roundabouts, water systems, airport lights and new EMS levy!
Priceless! Who said August was a slow month?
Always something here to keep the blood circulating and heart pumping.
It’s nice to see our sense of humor hasn’t left us. Learning something new will keep us young and agile.
The alternative is that Darwin’s theory will take over with only the survival of the fittest.
Hey! lets start practicing the “roundabout” now and see how it works. Put your right wheel in, put your right wheel out, put your right wheel in and shake it all about. Do the pokey pokey and drive your car around, that’s what it’s all about!
Meet me there at midnight and we can all practice going around in circles together.
It could be a new annual event for Ocean Shores
and a draw for more tourists during our foggy months.
Build it and they will come!
I’m smiling,it feels better.
“Volunteers must be committed” all right. After a few weeks in the summer of trying to rescue the tourists not to mention the locals with the added hustle and bustle, they’ll be committing themselves to the funny farm….or at least be taking ballet lessons to learn how to spin fast. Oh my.
I catagorically refuse to become a Friend of the Roundabout! Rather I would like to form an organization”Enemies of the Roundabout. When tourists inquired about the big round circle in the middle of town, we could tell them A. it is the pen where we keep our cattle before taking them to the slaughter house. We are awaiting a grant to build the slaughter house which can be built in the middle of motel and hotel row.B. this is the meeting place for our witches coven, do be aware when there is a full moon.C. It is a small coliseum where we reinact battles in the manner of the ancient romans. We have a few left over tigers from Jerry Joe Ward and are looking for lions perhaps we could use cougars and bears since we have a local supply.
And finally D. We are errecting public stocks for tourists who litter our beaches, speed up and down Pt Brown and Ocean Shores Boulevard, and shoot firecrackers into the dunes.
An alternate route known only to those with key cards is in the works built and maintained by the Enemies of the Roundabout.