Cars And Central Park

What an amazing transformation of Johnstown’s Central Park. And so quickly!

It seems like just earlier this week the elites who run everything were proudly displaying how they were going to dump $17 million, give or take, into the downtown gem in the interest of improving it and attracting visitors.

Then Saturday, I discovered the plan already had come to fruition, with so many classic cars and trucks rimming Central Park. I noticed this as I visited downtown.

Fantastic, although I’m not sure there was $17 million worth of vehicles. But it’s a government project, so there is slippage — wink, nod.

But those sparkling vehicles around the park and along Main Street sure did brighten the picture.

Of course, this begs the question of how a city short on funding is going to keep all those vehicles clean and shiny when they can’t even trim brush or patch holes in streets. Protecting the vehicles from vandals, or theft, also would seem to be a major consideration.

It also makes me worry about snow removal when winter arrives. Then again, downtown snow removal plans of late are to wait for it all to melt in the spring.

But this is progress and what sort of person would stand up against what the uncrowned leaders have determined is best for us?

Our area, you might have heard, is supposed to be hitching its economic wagon to tourism. And I will admit there were more people downtown than on a usual Saturday afternoon. I saw people in businesses. I am fairly certain they were spending money.

Will the economic bean counters run their models and estimate the customary $20 million was pumped into the local economy based on Saturday?

Speaking of that, have they ever gotten around to putting a number on what was the raging success of Thunder in the Valley 2023? If so, I missed it and so, apparently, did the area media.

But I’m sure those economic numbers were/are huge, both from the motorcycle event and going forward on the Central Park Car Display.

What? That display of cars and trucks was just for a few hours this weekend? They managed to get people into town simply by holding an event in the old, not updated Central Park?

I’m shocked, I tell you.