Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126484
open a number of OHV parks in va rious counties in California. The program helps local governments obtain "green sticker" money and gives them guidance and assistance in using it. The Ridge Runners realize that nobody is going to just give us a motorcycle park. even though there is money a vailable. It is onl y through efforts like the CMDA's that an y parks will be built. We as a club want to do what we can to _get m ore riding land so we donated th e profits from one of our events to the CMDA's program. The park project which the CMDA has undertaken is an expensive one, financed mainly from the dealer members' dues. What our club did will definitely help but there is always a need for more . The Ridge Runners think the other clubs and promoters ought to get off their butts and help too. Contact the CMDA and put on a benefit event. After all , motorcycles support us . why not do something to support them? We thank the CMDA for undertaking th is project and wish them continued succ ess. The Ridge Runners will be doing what we can to suppon this program in the future and encourage other clubs and promoters to do the same. WIST A merica 's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sh aron Cloyton. Pub lisher. Caroline Gendry. Executive Secretary to the Publisher . Susan Knecht, Execu tive Secre tary. Editorial Charles Morey. Managing Editor. Dal e Brown , Editor. Mark Kari ya , Editor. Advertising Skip Johnson . National Sal es Manager . T erry Pratt . Sal es M anag~r . Lind a Bro wn. Adv ertising Coordinator. Graphics and Production Krist in Cooper, Gra phic Artist . Barbara Travers, Assistant . Ma rion Ha ta sh ita . Typognphy. Dennis Greene. La bora tory. RIDGE RUNNERS M.C . Santa Cruz, CA Accounting Mike Klinger , Manager. Jeann e H am mon d . Aero . Receivable . Donna Bryan . Aut. Accu. Rece ivab le . T erry Da iley, Credit Manager, Circulation Rh eba Sm ith , Manager. Shirley Sho rt . Sarah Taylor. Mich elle Allan , Assista nts . Du an e Jo h nson, Deal er Sal es Manage r. Want Ads Leslie T horp. Won t Ad Soles. Service and Support Chris Aitchcson , Reception ist. Jim Lea l. S&S. West %201 Ch erry Ave.. Lon g Bea ch , CA P.O . Box 498. Long Bea ch, CA 90801 (~13) 4 ~ 7 ·7 4 3 3 : L.A . Line 636·8844. East 4190 First Ave .. Tucker . GA . P .O . Box 805. T uc ker. GA 30084. (404) 934· 7850. Cycle News/West (USPS 14 1·340 ) is pub lished week ly except the first and last week of the ca lendar year for $20 pt"r year by Cycle News. Inc . . 2201 Cher ry Aven ue . Lon g Bea ch . CA 90801. Seco nd class postage paid at Lon g Beach , CA . POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to Cycle News. P.O. Box 498. Long Beach . CA 90801. Subscription rates: One year . second class m a il. $20; two yean. second class mail . $35 ; three yean. second class m a il. $53; ~5 weeks. $11. 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All rights re o .erved. 4 ON THE FRONT PAGE: Wo men's National MX Champion Dede Cate., . om etime. known ·a...Elbows." has her albows full w ith champagne and trophies from her w in at Carl. bad over th e weekend. Photo by Ma rk Kariya. EI Mirage a BlM park? You asked for it - you got it! The future has unfonunately been foretold. A recent article appeared in the Victor Valley Daily Press that dealt with the all-knowing. all-seeing BLM ranger. He was made out to be a good guy . a hard working soul that patrols 700.000 acres of open desert by himself. Jeramiah Johnson style. Rough and tough! Yes, we are talking about the same type of ranger that drives a $25,000 van with mag wheels , that you and I have bought and paid for. It would seem from the article that the BLM would like to fence the entire EI Mirage Dry Lake area - the ranger describes it as "the ugliest part of his patrol range" - and charge admission to ride motorcycles and fly airplanes on the lake bed. I for one do not consider El Mirage ugly . Besides fencing the entire EI Mirage area. th ey are also considering discing the camping areas and seeding them . • Camping would be permitted onl y at established fire pits and sections of the lake bed would be set asid e for specific sports like motorcycling or flying model airplanes. The lake bed wou ld be closed during the wet months and would make for a safer surface. according to the BLM . Off-road vehicles would be kept off the main road and an entry gate would be installed where rangers could explain the park rules to each visitor and check off- road equipment' for safety. I would assume they are planning to install pennanent sanitation facilities and so forth, you know , a standard park. Spare us the baseball diamond , please. The whole idea sounds sickeningly stupid to me . but then what else could you expect from a government agency that is trying to build itself into a monster. I cannot imagine an organization considering fencing the second busiest recreation center in the California desert and trying to turn it into a park that would collect exorbitant fees for something that is currently a freebie. something that should remain a freebie. People come to the desert from all over California to escape the pressures and pace of the city. They come to the desert to get away from the pressures and hassles from police and park rangers breathing down their back. To convert such a large and heavily used area info some form of park would go against everything people come to the desen for. If they want a park they should go down the street at homel A few friends giggled when I walked about tons of rangers and U2 surveillance planes dogging off-road enthusiasts some months ago . It all becomes a little clearer now. The BLM may be considering going right to the off-readers ' heart . if you will. in fencing off the EI Mirage area . Now is the time to make your feelings known to both the BLM and the Desert Advisory Committee. Write them a letter. carbon copy them to your federal and state legislators. The longer we wait , the closer a fenced off El Mirage area becomes. If they can take EI Mirage away from us. there is nothing they cannot do. SON OF DESERT DUCK QuacklQuack! Thanks f or the help at Bo ot Hill Hats off and an extremely well done to Shi rt Jazz, a nd Sportcycles , Ltd. , both of Reno . and a host of others for making possible the First Annual Boot Hill Motocross on August IOth at Virginia City. NV. All proceeds will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Notable riders lending support were KTM's Bob Balentine and none other than Bob Hannah. Hannah won his class (naturally) and donated the purse back to the MDA Fund. Not only will the proceeds benefit an important cause, but all their efforts will improve the motorcyclists' im age to the general public. DAVE AUNKST Reno. NV Ridge Ru nners support CMDA efforts The Ridge Runners Motorcycle Club would like to thank all the riders and spectators who attended our July 13 motocross in Watsonville. CA. The even t was very successful and we raised a good sum of money for the CMDA. The race was held to help support the California Motorcycle Dealers Association's motorcycle park program through which the CMDA has helped Where w as everybody? At Kernville, August 6. 1980, Congressman Bill Thomas (R ·CA) had just re turned from an extensive fourday trip int o th e Kern Plateau a rea (Kennedy Meadows, Troy Meadows. Fish Creek, Monache Meadows. etc.), Some of you din riders may be acquainted with these areas. It seems that Phil Burton (D ·CA) has pushed through his and the preser· vationists' view of what the South Sierra should be like - all wildernessl Any of you who regularly rid e in this unique and fantastic area know that three years ago we lost over 100 miles of trails. and major loops were cut off and made into the Golden Trout Wilderness and other wilderness areas. Well. Bill Thomas and some con cerned people feel that the arbitrary boundaries that someone in Washington. DC. plops on the map should be investig ated first ha nd. After Bill had investigated this area. a m eeting was held on August 6 at 2:00 p .m . at the Kernville Chamber of Commerce, Ranchers . miners . skiers . Audubon Society and . of course, Sierra Clu b representatives were rep resented. Fou r whe elers , motorcycle int erests, AMA, Districts 36 and 37 must not be int erested - there were only two concerned fam ily groups trying to represent the d irt bike interests. Bill Thomas listened - at least he is trying to be fair and hear all sides . but he needs your in putl Monache Meadows, Jackass Peak Area , Rock House Basin and other local areas were being put into a further wilderness study area . Write letters, go to these meetings. join the National Outdoor Coalition. bu t be involvedl We are about to lose the little we still have. The desert is great in the winter, bUI the mountains are better in the summer. Let 's keep them. DON LEWIS Monterey Park. CA Published letters do not ne cessarily ref lect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Send letters to Voices. Box 498, Long Beach. CA90801.