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/126499
t" J ~, I\! r \ ~ v ..0 8 v u v Cl ~'~ l;,J. WIST o ~ What is your feeling on the use of the "rattlesnake" in this case? LEOKANNON& DIANA HUSINGER Garden Grove, CA The event was held at Sunrise Valley Cycle Park, a privately-owned piece of land not intended as a wildlife preserve. No one likes to see anything needlessly killed, but rattlesnakes are dangerous in crowd situations . .. Editor. l America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon Clayton, Publisher. Caroline Gendry. Executive Secretary to the Publisher. Editorial Charles Morey. Managing Editor. Dale Brown, Editor. Mark Kariya, Editor. Advertising Skip "johnson, National Sales Manager. Terry Prau, Sales Manager. linda Brown. Advertising Coordinator. Graphics and Production Kristin Cooper, Graphic Anist. Barbara Travtrs, Assistant. Marion Hatashita, TypogTaphy. ~nnis Groene. Labora,ory. Accounting Mike Klin~r. Manager. Jeanne Hammond, ACClS. Receivable, Donna Bryan, Pat Batty. Asst. Accts. Receivable, Terry Dailey. Cred~t Manage,r. Circulation Rbeba Smith, Manager. Shirley Short, SOTah Toylor. Michelle Allan. Auis,on... Duane Johnson. Dealer Sales Manager. Want Ads Yvette Gocken. Want Ad Sales. Services and Support Chris Aitcheson. Jomison. 5&5. Receptionist. Joe West 2201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beoch. CA P.O. Box 498. Long Beoch, CA 90801 (213) 427·7433: L.A. Line 636-8844. East 4190 Firs, Ave.. Tucker. GA. P.O. Box 80S, Tucker, GA 30084. (404) 934-7850. Cycle News/West (USPS 141·340) is published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year for $20 per year by Cycle News. Inc.. 220 I Cherry Avenue. Long Beach. CA 90801. Second clu. postage: poid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3li7!l to Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long ....,h.CA'-01. Subscription rates: OM year, second cla. mail, $20; two years, I«ond class mail. $55; three years. second dus mail, $53: 25 woe.., $11. Cyde News wekomes unsolicited editorial material including stories, cartOOtU, photOl5, etc. Such material, if published. becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Such accepted materiaJ is subject to revision as is necessary in the sole discretion of Cycle News. Unsolicited material which is not used will be returned if accompanied by a sdfoddrcsocd stomped envelope. All un· solicited material will be handled with reasonable care, however, Cycle News aSlurnes no responsibility for the safety, 1011 or damage to such material. Reprinting in whole or pan only by permi.ion of "the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation infonnation will be senl upon r~uest. See S.R.D.S. Copyright Cycle News, Inc. 1• . Tredemerk Cycle N_s registered U.S. Petent Off'tee. An rights r. served. ON THE FRONT PAGE: What better place to spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving than out in the desert. on your motorcycle? About a 1000 riders spent the day going between Barstow and Las Vegas. Photos by Charles Morey. 4 No Clear Creek closure Again we would like to dispel tbe rumor tbat we are planning to close the Clear Creek Recreation Area as was~tated in your Oct. 22, 1980 issue. However, there are some actions planned that will be of interest to recreationists using the area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to place a plant, the San Benito Evening Primrose (Camissonia benitensis) on the federal endangered species list. Listing of this plant will require us to take action necessary to protect the plant where it occurs, or is likely to occur. Potential habitat for the primrose encompasses less than three percent of the Clear Creek Recreation Area. Some plant locations bave already been protected through fencing. Other sites will be fenced to protect the primrose, however, there will still be areas open for camping and most of the ORV use areas will not be affected. The Fish and Wildlife Service will be announcing public meetings to be held on their proposed action to oflicially list Camissonia benitensis as "endangered." The Bureau of Land Management will also be holding public meetings in the next few months on off-road vehicle designation for the Clear Creek Recreation Area. A key issue with this ORV desi!)Tllltion is the asbestos hazard. Soils in the area are naturally very high in asbestos and the amount of airborne asbestos dust is increased considerably by vehicle use, especially during periods of low soil moisture_ Persons visiting the area should be aware of the risk involved with asbestos exposure. No one cm say exactly how much of a risk exists, but studies have shown that riders at Clear Creek are sometimes exposed to levels that exceed industrial limits set by OSHA for short term exposures. Asbestos exposure is second only to cigarette smoking in being correlated with lung can· cer. Other diseases associated with asbestos exposure include asbestosis, a chronic lung ailment which can produce shortness of breath; mesothelioma, a cancer of the membrane between the lungs and abdomen; and cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. There are ways to reduce your asbestos-related health risks while riding at Clear Creek. We recommend the following: 1. Wear a respirator approved for asbestos (see the yellow pages under safety equipment). 2. Thoroughly wash all mud and dust from your vehicle and wipe all interior surfaces with a damp cloth after you leave the area. 3. Don't drink water from streams or springs in the Recreation area. 4. During regular health check ups, make your doctor aware of your history of asbestos exposure at Clear Creek. We are ve.ry interested in continuing to work with ORV enthusiasts and other user groups in the management of the Clear Creek Recreation Area. Again, we have no plans to close Clear Creek. If you have any questions, please contact either David Lehman, Scott Florence, or Butch Hayes at 916/985· 4474. LOUIS A. BOLL District Manager Bureau of Land Management Hollister Resource Area 63 Natoma Street Folsom, CA 95630 Cruelty to snakes 7 We were at the Dirt Diggers GP and thought it was a fun course. But after seeing your recent issue we bad some questions. The first is: Why on the advertisement of the GP do the Dirt Diggers show a motorcycle rider running over a rattlesnake? The second is: With all the articles and problems with the Sierra Club and BLM over the use of the land, was it really necessary to print "To add to the excitement, a rattlesnake was killed only a few feet from the photographer as she sat on the ground." Granted that some snakes are dangerous, but wouldn't the Sierra Club love to hear of the boasting of motorcycle enthusiasts of the killing of the desert reptiles in their natural environment. We really feel that you did a disservice to many people who go out of their way not to harm any animals out in the desert and those who are working extremely hard on the fight with the Sierra Club and BLM. Portland MX fan Since moving to Portland, OR, four years ago, I have found the quality of motocross promotion to be the best anywhere. I have been racing nine years, living in the Seattle area and the San Francisco area, and it has been my experience that the people involved in motocross around Portland are the finest. The races start on time, on wellprepared tracks, with starters that don't play games to fry your clutches, very friendly officials, good trophies the list is seemingly endless. I have never had so much fun racing motocross. All Northwest racers should be thankful to have people like George Howland, Duane Wilder, Wally Broessmle, Rob Tice, Action Oz, the Blasdell family, the Bogle family, and all the other fine people that get up early, involved with their sport. Thanks from all of us folks. MIKE ROBERTS Portland, OR Good ride Just a word to say that the Brown family had a good ride in the desert this Thanksgiving weekend. The area we chose was nonh of Barstow, off Alvord Road. . After a quick donation in the Cycle News Quacker Box for the Duck, we gassed up and the four of us headed out. At 40 miles out, II·year-old Jimmy acquired a rear flat and was finished for the day. His father. uncle and brother Joel went on to finish the ride at Blue Diamond Road in Las Vegas. We would like to congratulate 10year-old Joel for finishing the 125-mile ride; also a thanks to the three or four riders who gave him encouragement with the "thumbs up" salute, and finally a word of thanks to the Duck. THE BROWNS Thanks for the support I am writing this letter to express my sincere thanks to my family and my sponsors, Trivic, O'Neal and Lynn Wilson, for their suppon of me this year, and especially the Women's National Championships. •Their backing and constant suppon helped me to concentrate on racing instead of problems. One more special thanks goes to Roy, Barb and Brian. You're the best. DEBBIE MATTHEWS National 17 Tustin, CA Grateful 49'er On behalf of the Polka Dots M.C. 1 would like to thank all those people who contributed their time and equipment on our Nov. 9 49'er Enduro, especially the Din Diggers North, F-Troop and the National Motorcycle Patrol. Thanks again. FRANK SHOWERS Secretary, Polka Dots M.C. Sacramento, CA Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Send letters to Voices. Box 498. Long Beach, CA90801.