Letters – by Our Readers

Letters

Bill,

I know I am behind, but I just read about Sal Cucuruto passing away. I remember meeting him on one of my first trips to the Delta.

I was staying with you on your boat at Tower Park and Trisha the lady that ran the Sunset Bar & Grill took us over to the Lighthouse for the Slut Strutters Ball in her limousine. I guess that was Sal’s signature event. I remember commenting on the slope of the floor in the building.

You said it was so drunks would roll out of the way when they passed out. It was a fun evening and I am sorry to learn of Sal’s death.

I thought you might enjoy this photo of him.

Richard Bourke|,
Seattle

Bourke,

Thanks for the note; we were all saddened by Sal crossing over the bar. He was one of a kind! He put on many great parties in the Delta and lived a good life. The picture looks like you might have taken it while lying on the floor. It looks like Sal was pouring a glass of wine on you to wake you up. I remember that evening, but not all of it. Thank God for Trisha and the limo, we might have woken up in a ditch somewhere otherwise.

Bill

Pat,

I read your journalist analysis of the Cal-boating Safety Card. At least now boaters are supposed to carry a revocable safe boater card, so we are all safer on the water.

I was one of the last Cal-boating engineers who designed and constructed California boat facilities before the department was merged with State Parks. Since that merger in 2009 California has not constructed nearly any new boating facilities and the few we built before 2009 are breaking apart.

It’s time for California to make Cal-boating an independent department again and add the mission of water quality, access, and rising shorelines to the department responsibilities.

Curt Taras

Curt,

Thank you for writing. Unfortunately, I for one do not feel any safer on the water since the requirements of California boat operators being required to put a little time in to an online web-based training that is far too basic in nature to be of much value. From my experience on the water, I see more boat operators that simply either do not understand safe vessel operation or simply don’t care to apply the limited information they were expected to master. As I stated in my article, let’s see if the accident statistics show any improvement once the program is fully implemented since the interim data is not encouraging.

I have not tracked any of the boater specific projects prior to the merger of Boating and Parks and Rec or after the merger so I cannot comment on specifics. I can see however the diversion of boating specific funds for other uses as these are public records. Having a state department that is responsible only for spending boater generated revenue on boater enhancements that could include water quality improvement especially in the form of invasive aquatic species reduction or elimination and more and better boat launch facilities along with increased public docking facilities would be high on my wish list

Hope you are having a great new year.
Pat

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