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Funny---I was always told that there was a restrictive covenant placed in the deed when the Gallo family conveyed the balance of the present property to MMA. That supposedly guaranteed fishing and recreational access to the grounds. I guess the MMA people found a way around this.
Over the years, they've become distinctly fishermen unfriendly, and I think the philosophy varies from commandant to commandant. In the late 70s and early 80s, they allowed you to fish from the pier. Little by little, they chipped away access. They reduced parking spots, they reduced the number of trash barrels---inviting the semi-paranoid ;-) to wonder whether they wanted a trash condition to arise and provide an excuse. My suspicion also is that the fols who live along Academy Drive also had a hand in this.
Here's what kills me about those yahoos---for years they complained about the fishermen making noise, but the noisiest part of the whole year is the two-week "plebe hell" orientation period in late August, when the freshman class is doing close-order drill and singing--and getting yelled at by senoir cadets---at 5:30 AM.
I hardly ever fish there any more, but it still bothers me that they would do this, and that the courts would back them. It's one of the few places along the Canal that's accessible to the elderly and handicapped, and maybe some enterprising person would consider bringing a suit under the Americans With Disablilites Act to at least allow handicapped access.
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