|
|
|
|
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM? SDOR: The recent closure of approximately 50,000 acres of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area doesn't really come as any big surprise to those of us in the off road community, we've seen this before. But like any community, we have our own problems. I don't believe the closure had as much to do with the protection of the Pierson's Milk Vetch plant as it did with making strides in pursuit of eliminating off road activity in those dunes forever. Why would they want to do that?? What possible reason could the eco-freaks have to try and lock us out of one of the most popular off road havens in the country? TRASH!!! TRASH!! and more TRASH!! TRASH upon TRASH!! Is it just me, or have you too noticed the trashing of our deserts? It is totally incomprehensible to me how such a few inconsiderate people can make such a huge mess. My family and I have participated in organized trash clean-ups and usually haul more trash home than we take everytime we visit. I think most of the concerned off roaders do the same. So who are these other people? ( and I use that term very loosely ) Do they come out of caves somewhere? What tribe of homosapiens do they come from? We need to come up with something very soon that will correct this major deficiency in our population .....or our sport and our form of recreation is doomed forever. It's not the kangaroo rats, milk vetches or horned lizards that are eliminating our open space access......those are viable excuses....it's US...WE are our own enemy.....we have allowed this trashing to continue; sure we clean up some of it from time to time.....but come on, look around, I'm not an eco-freak, but it sure does make the hair on the back of my head stand up everytime I go to the desert. I don't have the answers but I challenge the younger generations of desert users to get a handle on this problem as they're the ones with the most to lose. Once these areas are closed.....it's a done deal!! Forever!! TOM GAYDOS Ramona |
|
|
|
GREETINGS FROM A LOS ANCIANOS CHARTER MEMBER Steve and Sherri: I am visiting my daughters here in San Diego for the Christmas season and my friend, Bill Merritt, gave me a copy of your September edition. Good reading. I am a charter member of the Los Ancianos MC and would like to correct one thing on p. 34 as well as give you the names of the two old guys on the middle left of that page. First, this couldn't have been the 50th anniversary of the Ancianos. The original intent of the club was that you must have been 30 years of age to be a member, hence the name (The Ancient Ones). The club was formed in about 1958 which makes it some 42 years old. I was 31 and am 73 now. Bill Steider was the first president. We called him El Jefe. I was the first referee. I was also the District 38 referee at the time. I think we had eight or nine members and met at Bill's house about once a month. There were no dues and no rules. Our first event was forever known as "The Hot Mothers Day Run" as we scheduled a Hare and Hound race on Mothers Day and got just a few entries. We all had a good time but lost a bunch of money. The two unidentified guys in the picture are Glenn "Newt" Newton (standing) and, I think, Don Burger. I could be mistaken on the last. Both these folks are in their mid to late 70's and still ride. I worked with Newt at San Diego Imported Cars in the late 50s. We were both involved with the first Del Mar mile in 1949, he as a mechanic and me as a rider. I rode for Richards Motors at the time. Don is a retired merchant marine engineer but has been riding motorcycles around the San Diego area for 50+ years. Leonard Andres, the late San Diego Harley dealer and AMA official, asked me to become the first San Diego/Imperial County AMA referee in 1957. The first year we were a sub-district to District 37 where Bert Brundage was the district referee. In 1958 the AMA created District 38 and I became the district referee. When I resigned to move to Northern California Arkie Gunn became District 38 referee. Enjoyed reading your newspaper. Incidentally, I have a copy of the historical edition of your paper at home. I can provide some additional information to that material if you desire. Hope you have a great holiday, BRO SMITH via email |
|
| NEED YOUR HELP Good morning: As a long-time subscriber, San Diego native off roader old guy, who really enjoys your publication, I need your help. My nine-year-old grandson needs to take the off road safety course and I need a contact to get him signed up. I have looked in your magazine and have not found it. I am sure you have published it, but I pass my copies on to others, and do not have them for reference. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. TERRY STEWART Bonita We already passed word on to Terry via e-mail, but thought there might be other readers out there looking for this information too. You can contact the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 786-5559 for more information. To enroll in an ATV Rider Course, the number for the ATV Enrollment Express is (800) 887-2887; or for a local contact, call instructor Curt Schermerhorn (619) 606-2588 or email him at [email protected] |
||
| ARG!!!!!!!!!!! SDOR: I just mailed 25 letters to the BLM headquarters in Washington. Then while reading my new San Diego Off Road Magazine (January 2001) I see the Washington address as 849 and not 1849 C Street N.W. What's the real address? Hope my small mountain folks letter campaign isn't wasted. Thanks for all you do for off roading. CRAIG ANDERSON Big Bear Lake CA Rest assured, it's our mistake (unfortunately)! Hope we didn't cause a mountain of mail to be returned undeliverable. If you wrote letters like the sample letter we printed last month, please note that the correct address is 1849 C Street NW |
||
| GREAT POLITICAL STUFF SDOR: Your political stuff is dynamite!! Keep up the good work. I'm sure now, I feel it in my bones, we have them (environmentalists) on the run. With Duncan Hunter, a great legal firm and all our support we will be victorious and take back what they have taken from us, our land. WE must keep up the good work. E-mail stuff is great but writing a good old letter to BLM and our congressmen is better. Can you print the address of all important people: BLM, Congressmen, etc. etc. Please, let's write. Keep up the good work. MIKE NIXON Spring Valley |
||
| A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE Sherri, I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to everyone for their support of and interest in LESAR (Los Exploradores Search & Rescue) during the past two years. As President, there were many challenges in keeping it afloat. I would like to thank Ed Houston for serving as Vice President, Bryan Saasta for his efforts and hard work as Treasurer, Rick "Putt Putt" Wessels for helping out by holding the office of Secretary, and Dick Bird for his efforts as Member-at-Large. I would be a poor leader and an even "more poor" (if that's a correct phrase) husband if I didn't thank my Sweetie-pie, Letrell (Mzzz Piggie), for all the work she did in behalf of Putt Putt as secretary and for acting as our Webmaster. She spent countless hours making phone calls to LESAR staff, writing literally hundreds of letters to merchants, race promotors, and individuals asking for contributions to assist us in purchasing a new trailer. I would like to offer a personal thank you to all who contributed to the raising of funds. Not only did several racers send checks our way, we also received monies from Casey Folks (Best in the Desert series) and Tankslappers. (I would remind each of you of our agreement to place your names and/or logos on the trailer once it has been purchased.) Prior to the website being taken over by another individual for 2001, all names of contributors were placed on the site. I would encourage each of you to check it out at www.lesar.org and offer a big thank you to those who have contributed. It was a difficult decision to not remain with LESAR for another year. With the birth of our daughter this next week and all that goes into running a successful event, I didn't feel I could commit the same amount of time or energy to keeping LESAR going. I would like to thank those of you who stepped in at the last minute, Putt Putt, Eddie Haynes, Scott "Animal" Dell, Gary "Marry Me" Magee, and Rob "Stix" Svatora, and committed to keeping LESAR going for 2001. And thank you, Dick, for offering to serve yet another year as Member-at-Large. You are truly an asset to LESAR. My best to everyone, and again, THANK YOU, for your support and for putting your trust in our abilities. Keep the Rubber Side Down. MIKE "THE PIGFARMER" CUFF Former Prez, LESAR |
||
| LESAR HAS A NEW TRAILER SDOR: Well it has been a whirlwind since I became President of LESAR the first of the year. First off I learned that President comes from old Latin word meaning "Domestic helper for people who know what they are doing". And all of a sudden Jan McGarvie of the San Diego Off Road Coalition offered LESAR a space at the Off Road Expo at Cajon Speedway. We all thought it would be great exposure for LESAR but little did we know!! It was incredible! Scott, the announcer, kept giving us plugs over the P.A. Lots of people came by and signed up to be members this year. Dave Collier and the guys from Instant Mexican Insurance Service (try saying that five times real fast) headed up the walk by donations. Thank you all who donated, it added way up. The guys from Nite Rider lighting systems are talking about sending some light our way, awesome! There was one thing though that just about caused my eye's radiator to start leaking just a little. I had gone around the expo one more time Saturday afternoon and had stopped by to try and smooge some free goggles for our sweep riders from Rocky at Cycle Parts West. Well Rocky smooged me! First he informed me that he was donating an O'Neal riding outfit to be auctioned off at the King of the Desert race Feb. 24 (Fud is helping us out with the promotion and raffle itself, thanks Fud) but Cycle Parts West is also donating $1,500 for the trailer we have been trying to buy!!!!! Cycle Parts West just made the difference! We just made a deal with Callen Campers for a new 21-foot trailer. Of course not to be out done by Cycle Parts West, Jim Callen gave us one unbelievable deal. Guys we at LESAR and the desert racers who your generous donations are helping just can't say thank you loud enough. RICK "PUTT PUTT" WESSELS LESAR domestic PS And thank you SAN DIEGO OFF ROADER for helping get the word out that Lesar needed help. I think I'm looking forward to having a fun year! |
30 January 2001