Longtime readers know how much I love Balboa Park. I have posted lots of pictures of the park over the years, many from what is colloquially now known as the "Lily Pond." I took the shots of these koi less than three weeks ago.
I was looking at my books on the park this evening and found some early pictures and descriptions by Bertram Grosevnor Goodhue, principal architect of the park, in his 1916 book, The Architecture and the Gardens of the San Diego Exposition. I quote from page 120:
La Laguna De Las Flores, The Arcade - Possibly the irresistible charm of the decorative use of water is not felt as strongly by the visitor to Southern California as it is to the resident, but no one can see the placid pool in front of the Botanical Building without realizing how satisfying and how necessary it is to the decorative success of the Fair.
Long, rectangular in form, its edges bordered with the intensely blue lobelia, its lilies graded in richness as they approach the Botanical Building, it forms a splendid foreground for the views from all sides. The reflections of the arcade at the south and of the Botanical Building at the north are fine but that of the apse of the psuedochapel of the foreign and Domestic Industries Building forms possibly the most picturesque detail of the Exposition.
As you have probably heard, the Laguna or "Lily Pond" got trashed by between 1500 and 2000 degenerates with squirt guns the other night in a Facebook and social networked flash mob style rave. There are conflicting reports of the extent of the damage but it has been widely reported that the pond was drained, fish killed, lilies trampled, and the area generally trashed, leaving approximately ten thousand dollars worth of damage.
This wanton destruction really burns me, a native San Diegan, up. But the entitled attitude of the revelers and their apologists and defenders is even worse. Read some of the comments on San Diego City Beat.
Here's a screenshot from somebody named Jason and a couple of terse replies.
JASON WANTS MORE FUN FREE THINGS TO DO. WHY STRESS OVER SOME OVERPRICED GOLDFISH? AT LEAST THERE WAS NO SEXUAL ASSAULT.
Rebecca thinks we're missing out on the positive highlights of the melée. You people at home, clutching your pearls...Beautiful. Another commenter said that if we didn't want riots and insurrection we would just chill about this whole episode, some sort of veiled threat.
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This poopy attitude on the part of our youth today is not the same as it was a generation or two ago. The graffiti, the disrespect for public property, the sense of entitlement. I regularly have to stop skateboarders from wasting the Village Square in Fallbrook. One kid told me it was my problem for not giving him a place to skate and play. It was our job to build him a skateboard park. There is a total disconnect. Spoiled, narcissistic punks with no regard for anything beyond their tired illuminated skin, bermuda shorts and stupid little hipster fedoras. After all its not like they are doing cool stuff like dosing the water supply or burning down the B of A, more like petty crap like cyberhacking and selfish, self indulgent mischief. I got hammered by a smug blond hipster twenty something in Santa Fe last week, "You know you sound like an old man?" Whatever. Shove your ear bud laden head up your ass. With blue tooth and remote tethering, everything should still be cool.
One destructive punk told a merchant friend of mine recently that us old guys had had our way in town for too long and the young guard was going to do things their way now. I say have at it, you worthless little shits. Better bring your squirt guns.
3 comments:
I recently took photos of the lily pond, one of my favorite places in the world...along with the rest of Balboa Park. I've taken several pictures there. I'm grieving for the koi and the lilies. The only thing more appalling than what happened is the attitude of those kids. It's really sickening!
Barbara
Where are the parents?!
all the people who vandalized the lily pond should be dosed.
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