Coachella Valley Water District Cancels SO Winter Nationals

[david bryan]

Thats funny. So who sits there every day and night to make sure a person does not trailer out for a day with their boat to got to another lake and then put the boat back in the lake!!!

they don't allow any boats on the lake period to the best of my knowledge and no swimming

[Dave M]

Forgetting One Thing Ed

Steve Robbins, General Manager-Chief Engineer

Dear Mr. Robbins: I write to you with regard to the recent event the American Power Boat Association (APBA) had planned to hold on Lake Chuhilla next month. By way of introduction, I am the Stock Outboard Category Chairman for the APBA. The APBA is the United States National Authority for the Union of International Motorboating (UIM) which is the world organization reconginzed by the International Olympic Committee as the authority for power boat racing across the globe. The Stock Outboard Category is the largest category of racing in the APBA and we had planned to run the APBA's largest class, C Stock Hydro, as well as other Stock Outboard Classes at the event at your lake for the 2011 APBA Winternational Championships.

I wish to respond to the decision that was apparently recently-made not to allow power boat racing on this lake due to a perceived risk of infestation of the lake with Zebra and/or Quagga Muscles coming from our members' racing equipment. I can assure you that this concern is unwarranted.

Our members utilize specialized equipment made solely for racing purposes. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has granted the manufacturers of the engines for our category of racing special permits for the production and use of these engines solely for racing purposes. This means that none of our members' equipment is designed for pleasure use. This, in turn, means that our members' equipment is only placed in the water for the short period that the equipment is actually being used for racing. In fact, our racing boats and motors are stored on the beach when not being used even while the equipment is at the race site. Even in between heats of racing, the equipment is nearly always removed from the water for refuling and/or adjustment. I believe that this removal was even part of the re-fueling plan filed with your organization with regard to dealing with fuel spills by the conducting club, Southern California Outboard Association (SCOA). Thus, it is only when the equipment is actually being raced that the boat equipment is placed in the water. This is true for all of our events. Therefore, the time that the equipment is actually physically located in water is so short a duration, it is nearly impossible for one of these animals to attach itself to our members' equipment.

Thus, the risk of infestation of our members' equipment by these animals is virtually non-existant. The risk of infestation would be similar to the risk that a swimmer might pose of transfering these animals to a waterway. Since the equipment is never in the water long enough for the muscles to attach themselves to the equipment, the risk of transfer to another lake or water way is nearly non-existant.

I would ask that you reconsider the decision not to permit powerboat racing at your lake. As I am sure you are aware, this is a large event for our organization and we have many communities that bid for these events based upon the positive economic impact the event can have for a local community. In fact, based upon the information that has been received in the last 48 hours with regard to the decision made with regard to this event, I have already received three (3) requests to hold this event at other locations: one in Northern California, one in the State of Washington and one in the State of Georgia. While transfering the event to another location might be possible, it would be an extreme hardship for our organization to do this and for our members who have already made travel plans to attend the event in Southern California.

I would appreciate it if you would advise me directly of your final decision no later than the close of business tomorrow, February 11, so that our organization may make a decision with regard to where this event will be held. We will make this decision over the weekend.

Thank you for your kind consideration,

--
Edward W. Hearn, SO Category Chairman,
American Power Boat Association

cc: Gloria Urbin, Executive Director, APBA
Stock Outboard Racing Commission, APBA
Mr. Ernie Dawe, SCOA
Mr. Roger Carr, SCOA

Ed, while this is a nice letter, you failed to reveal the use of pleasure craft each day all day long that would be prone to the muscles attaching themselves too. Given the use of Turn boats, rescue boats, and tow boats at such events is a must have, you may want to address the plan to rid these vessels of muscles. It might help to be certain that all of the issues are addressed. It would prove to them the organization is performing due diligence, proactively.

[AZ Outlaw]

Given the use of Turn boats, rescue boats, and tow boats at such events is a must have, you may want to address the plan to rid these vessels of muscles. It might help to be certain that all of the issues are addressed. It would prove to them the organization is performing due diligence, proactively.

duely noted..it will be a battle for sure. Just not sure what other "hoops" they have in store for us once the green light is given?

[propnuts]

Honey and vinegar

Seems like both approaches yielded the same results, but the vinegar folks got to express their real feelings and maybe feel a little better about it. They may or may not be unproffesional, incompetent or stupid, they are just playing the oldest bureaucrat game in the world, just say no and CYA. Just my opinion.

Please do not write these guys and tell them they are unprofessional, stupid, incompetent or other similar characterizations. You will not be helping our cause if you do that.

Just write them, tell them about what we do, why it would be impossible to get the muscles in their lake from our equipment and ask them to reconsider.

"You get more flies with honey than with vinegar." Walker is correct (there, I said it!).

[Skoontz]

We have a state that is 35 billion upside down...They threaten with cutiing police and fire....Can you think of any agencies they need to cut first? Hmmmmm, Oh yeah how about the agency putting
GPS tracking chips in trees so they can find them when stolen? How about the agency paying some scrodilarian to stand at a launching ramp looking at snails?

How about those morons who stand in the middle of Rt 80 on Donner Summit stopping you in a snow storm to check if you have the 4 wheel drive locked in?

Or what about the morons at those fruit check points? Pull up with a trailer, they llook, see you have no seeds without checking a thing, then say go....

All these dringot lickers are SEUI union members over paid, over benefitted, and Obama supporters...Need I say more?

This race was canceled because people who are desperitely trying to keep their jobs need to justify their presence.

[Ron Hill]

Skoontz...Tells It Like It Is...

We have a state that is 35 billion upside down...They threaten with cutiing police and fire....Can you think of any agencies they need to cut first? Hmmmmm, Oh yeah how about the agency putting
GPS tracking chips in trees so they can find them when stolen? How about the agency paying some scrodilarian to stand at a launching ramp looking at snails?

How about those morons who stand in the middle of Rt 80 on Donner Summit stopping you in a snow storm to check if you have the 4 wheel drive locked in?

Or what about the morons at those fruit check points? Pull up with a trailer, they llook, see you have no seeds without checking a thing, then say go....

All these dringot lickers are SEUI union members over paid, over benefitted, and Obama supporters...Need I say more?

This race was canceled because people who are desperitely trying to keep their jobs need to justify their presence.

Is there a chance you didn't say everthing you wanted to???

Dave Bryan and I make a trip to Lake Cahuilla...We take pictures, we help plan the Winter Nationals....and the April Mini Boat Enduro....................problem is more than half of the state of California employees work for the state.....

ADD: The dudes that look at your fruit when you come in to the state, usually take your water melons and cantalope!!!! (Working in the hot sun need rewards...)...

[blueskyracer]

We have a state that is 35 billion upside down...They threaten with cutiing police and fire....Can you think of any agencies they need to cut first? Hmmmmm, Oh yeah how about the agency putting
GPS tracking chips in trees so they can find them when stolen? How about the agency paying some scrodilarian to stand at a launching ramp looking at snails?

How about those morons who stand in the middle of Rt 80 on Donner Summit stopping you in a snow storm to check if you have the 4 wheel drive locked in?

Or what about the morons at those fruit check points? Pull up with a trailer, they llook, see you have no seeds without checking a thing, then say go....

All these dringot lickers are SEUI union members over paid, over benefitted, and Obama supporters...Need I say more?

This race was canceled because people who are desperitely trying to keep their jobs need to justify their presence.

I think that sums it up!

[propnuts]

???

...................problem is more than half of the state of California employees work for the state.......

Out of curiosity, who do the other half work for?

[propnuts]

Somehow I knew it was Obama's fault the race is off!

Seems he has his fingers in just about everything that goes wrong, **** him.

We have a state that is 35 billion upside down...They threaten with cutiing police and fire....Can you think of any agencies they need to cut first? Hmmmmm, Oh yeah how about the agency putting
GPS tracking chips in trees so they can find them when stolen? How about the agency paying some scrodilarian to stand at a launching ramp looking at snails?

How about those morons who stand in the middle of Rt 80 on Donner Summit stopping you in a snow storm to check if you have the 4 wheel drive locked in?

Or what about the morons at those fruit check points? Pull up with a trailer, they llook, see you have no seeds without checking a thing, then say go....

All these dringot lickers are SEUI union members over paid, over benefitted, and Obama supporters...Need I say more?

This race was canceled because people who are desperitely trying to keep their jobs need to justify their presence.

[Howie Nichols]

Stock WinterNationals

SCOA, Jeff, Ernie, and everyone else who attempted to get Indio back and to host the WinterNationals thank you for trying your best. It is appreciated by all of us.

The SORC has had several proposals to host the 2011 WinterNationals in lieu of the cancellation of Indio. Hoepfully we will have a decision made by Sunday night (2/13)

The proposals to date:

Copperopolis, CA
Eatonville, WA - April 1/2/3
Jesup, GA - April 16/17

Stay tuned for updates!!

[ricochet112]

We have a state that is 35 billion upside down...They threaten with cutiing police and fire....Can you think of any agencies they need to cut first? Hmmmmm, Oh yeah how about the agency putting
GPS tracking chips in trees so they can find them when stolen? How about the agency paying some scrodilarian to stand at a launching ramp looking at snails?

How about those morons who stand in the middle of Rt 80 on Donner Summit stopping you in a snow storm to check if you have the 4 wheel drive locked in?

Or what about the morons at those fruit check points? Pull up with a trailer, they llook, see you have no seeds without checking a thing, then say go....

All these dringot lickers are SEUI union members over paid, over benefitted, and Obama supporters...Need I say more?

This race was canceled because people who are desperitely trying to keep their jobs need to justify their presence.

Yes, all of California's problems are a result of Democrats...blinded by our faith are we? lol!

Republicans have outnumbered Democrats in the California governor’s office.
Of the 38 California governors, 21 have been Republicans, 11 have been Democrats, and six were from other parties. Six of the last 10 governors have been Republicans.

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf...lectionJTF.pdf

[Ron Hill]

I'm Probably Not Correct....

Out of curiosity, who do the other half work for?

.


Block voters are teachers, prison guards, county workers , state workers, government workers, police and fire generally are UNION members who vote themselves raises and backers into power....How many government employees are Republicans???

Boat shop owners, painters, eye doctors and the like don't ususally work for unions. These people TRY to make a profit, not spend the people's TAX DOLLARS on "important" things like global warming or Quzzi Mussels...The Park Rangers at Indio like THEIR lake. It is quiet and their are no people around them to bother them while they are working!


Puddingstone has raised the rates from $3,600 a weekend to $4,900 for the rent of the water and PART of the park, plus their usual $10 a car load per day. They would rather the lake and park be empty, than drop their rates.....On a normal MArch weekend they take in maybe $2,000....On a race weekend, they collect $4,900 plus of $10,000 from the gate......but they'll let us walk away rather than "DISCOUNT" their prices....They don't get the rental money. The county does. When their is a race, they have to work .....

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Can we try to keep this thread on track. It was meant to be an informational thread regarding the situation at the Winter Nationals site, not a political bashing thread. I want to make sure that important information doesn't get lost between posts that really aren't going to help fix anything be they right or wrong. Thanks!

[Ron Hill]

On Track???

Well, sure! We can stay on track!!!

BUT, what are we talking about???

We got kicked out of Indio about ten years ago when the PGA golf Course said they'd give the county double the rental fees to keep the boat racers out.


We looked at other racing sites: At Long Beach......but they have a rule "No boat parking on the sand...." You would only need to walk your boat cart about 500 feet each time you launched....It could work.

But Long Beach would have to be single bouy turns...

We could have gone to La Paz Park, but we needed to have coast guard approval 120 days in advance...

It ain't easy being a boat racer in SoCal...

[propnuts]

On this Ron and I agree 100%

It ain't easy being a boat racer in SoCal...

My hat is off to Jeff, Ernie and all of SCOA for continuing to fight the fight on the boat racers behalf