Time for another can ban update.
River tourists poured into waterways here Saturday, slathered in sunscreen and toting drinks in a variety of vessels, as the summer tubing season finally hit full stride.
“We didn’t have a (strong) spring because it was cold, and it flooded on Memorial Day weekend, so this is the first fair shot we’ve had,” said Matthew Hoyt, owner of Corner Tubes.
Despite a municipal prohibition on disposable containers, patronage was heavy on the Comal River as well as the Guadalupe River where it flows inside the city.
To comply with “the can ban,” Michael “Steezy” Stane had a pesticide sprayer loaded with vodka, cranberry juice and ice.
“I wish I could bring beer cans,” said Stane, 24, of Fort Worth.
The regulation enacted last year is being challenged in a lawsuit, but authorities say visitors are getting acclimated to carrying reusable containers.
“We’ve had very few incidents involving unauthorized containers,” Police Capt. John McDonald said. “We’ve had some really large crowds, but they’ve been very manageable.”
[…]
Lots of time was spent explaining the rules to callers at the Rockin’ R outfitters in Gruene, where tubers were lined up early Saturday.
Rockin R manager Shane Wolf said he was pleased at last week’s uptick in business, which included steady sales of reusable beverage containers for customers heading into the city.
“The rain on Memorial Day Saturday obviously hurt, as well high school graduations all the way into June,” said Wolf. He’s one of those fighting the can ban in court, but declined to discuss the case Saturday.
See here for the previous update. It’s a little early to make any judgments, but so far at least there’s no sign of radical change. According to the story, the lawsuit, which is back in Comal County after a brief sojourn to Travis, could go to trial by the end of the year. I’ll be keeping an eye on it.
Protection of our wonderful rivers and waterways of Texas should be done at any cost or inconvenience to individuals. I was born and raised in Texas and many great times have been spent on the Comal, Guadalupe and Medina and I want them clean for years to come. I don’t live in New Braunfels and don’t know what I could do from a distance but certainly give my support.