Some of the opponents of the beach facilities referendum (approved by Charlestown voters on June 6) were in serious denial about what happens when people just gotta go.
They wrote e-mails to CCA, which CCA dutifully passed on, claiming to be baffled at why people who come to the beach might need toilet facilities. Why indeed?
Well, a valuable teachable moment comes to us from New London ’s recent experiences with its new “Whale Tail” sculpture-fountain. This impressive piece of art is a focal point for New London ’s waterfront/downtown renewal.
But town officials have had to turn off the water driving the fountain when beach goers found other uses for it.
"People are using the tail as a latrine,'' city resident Evelyn Louziotis told the New London Day. "It's an $11 million bathroom."
The fountain has been used as a urinal, a place to rinse off beach sand and on at least one occasion, a place to defecate.
Maybe we should send a team of advisors over to New London to show them our $1.2 million alternative to their $11 million problem, and explain the simple truth that “when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.”