Airboats in the Park

Parking and launching from City Park

Sixty airboats descended on Cedar Key City Park May14 for a fishing tourney. Big cash prizes were offered according to Bobby Kendrick, one of the tourney organizers and an employee of GTO Airboats, the sponsor of the contest. Cedar Key Police were called to the park in response to a complaint that airboat traffic through the designated swimming area was endangering children in the water.

Tina Roberts and Julie Gore of Cedar Key, who were attending a children's birthday party in the park, told Cedar Key News that children were in the water when the airboats came into the beach. Mr. Kendrick denied that there were children in the water, adding that he was in the park all day. Furthermore, he said that people on the beach were not disturbed by the airboats.

Use of City Park by an organized group requires a $125 deposit, $100 of which is refunded if the park is left in good condition. The airboat tourney organizers, who have held the event the past seven years, had a permit according to Cedar Key Police. Parking of boat trailers in the restricted zone on Second Street resulted in at least one parking citation.

Corporal McMullen writes a ticket for illegal boat trailer parking to one of the tournament participants.

Guess they did not see that No Parking sign.