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December 30, 2005

Truth in Advertising                                                    

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The BLM is still advertising for Bob Beehler's job in Hollister.  I think this is the third time they have posted the job.  Guess they can't find a sucker (I mean highly qualified, skilled and experienced manager) to take the job.  This is hard to imagine based upon the salary range of $85-105K and the job description:

 

It is our friendly and supportive culture that separates us from other Federal agencies. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is focused on supporting your career objectives and professional growth, while encouraging a balance between your work life and personal life.  We are an agency within the U.S. Department of Interior, which administers 264 million acres of America's public lands, located primarily in 12 western states. 

 

The Hollister Field Office (HFO), located in San Benito County, encompasses approximately 315,000 acres of public lands in central California.  The HFO lands are bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the San Joaquin Valley to the east, with an elevation range from nearly sea level to over 5,000 feet.  Varied landforms include the Central Coast Range, the Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys and three major watersheds including the Pajaro draining into the Pacific Ocean, and the Arroyo Pasajaro and Silver Creek that drain east to the San Joaquin Valley. 

 

While being one of the fastest growing communities in California during the past decade, Hollister still maintains the quality of living that has brought people here from around the world.  The land, like the people of Hollister, has strength and charm, far enough away from crowds to offer available, undeveloped proterty, yet close enough to city conveniences to share a cosmopolitan atmosphere.  

To learn more about the Hollister Field Office, please visit: http://www.ca.blm.gov/hollister/.

 

Of course, maybe perspective candidates did look at the web site that for the most part has not been updated for 1-2 years and still lists Bob Beehler as the Field Office Manager.  Maybe they have asked questions among colleagues in California and found out what a mess this office is.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to offer an alternative job description:

 

This job offers the opportunity to move to one of the most expensive areas of the country where the cost of housing, should you qualify to buy one, will eat up at least a third of your salary, possibly more, or you will have to dirve 50 miles on-way to find an affordable house (by CA standards).  You will be taking over a staff that has been mismanaged for ten or more years since Steve Addington (rest his soul) was promoted out of the office.   You will have the opportunity to manage one of the most contentious management areas in the county with clean air, clean water, asbestos, mercury and ESA issues.  The poor management of this area has already evoked one lawsuit and more should be expected.  Not to mention a lack of budget that will have you working in the dark at the end of the fiscal year.  Are you sure you really want to apply for this position???

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December 27, 2005

Finally got smart !                                                    

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Each year it is always interesting to see what my wife and daughter will get me for Christmas.  Until this year it was almost guaranteed that it would not be something motorcycle related because they don't ride.  Same usually went for the family gift exchange.  On Thanksgiving we pull a name out of the hat and buy a present for the person we picked.  Unless my brother-in-law Brian got me I was assured of getting a non-motorcycle related gift.

 

I changed all that this year.  When the Rocky Mountain catalog came in the mail in early December, I went through it and picked out some things I needed (like socks) or a couple things I thought would be neat to have.  I circled the items, flagged the pages and left it out on the dining room table for my wife and daughter to see.  Guess what?  I got motorcycle stuff this year!  And, as it turns out, the person who pick me in the exchange called and they told them about a gift too so I was a perfect three for three.

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December 25, 2005

Merry Christmas!                                                     

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I normally wouldn't post something on Christmas Day but I had to after reading part of an article in the final Cycle News of 2005.  In this edition, they interviewed a number of the best motorcycle racers in the country, asking them what the best Christmas gift they ever received was.  For many it was the new mini-bike under the Christmas tree but for Johnny Murphree (who I recently met and rode with - Dec. 7 entry) it was the opportunity each year to go riding in Clear Creek. 

 

Here is his reply:  "My best Christmas present ever would have to be every year a few of my die hard trail-riding buddies and I make a Christmas Day ride at the Clear Creek Management Area in Northern California.  It' all about good friends and dirt bikes!"

 

Not surprisingly his worst Christmas present was a rain and snow storm in Clear Creek on Christmas Day.  Well, Johnny, If you're out there today, roost some dirt for me!

Merry Christmas!

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December 24, 2005

New location for the blog.                                                     

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Earlier this week the Salinas Ramblers domain name came up for renewal and at that time I moved the web site to a new internet service provider that cost about half what our previous ISP had been charging while offering 25x the disk storage.  This was a simple process of transferring the files from one location to another and then having the ISP change the pointers so that visitors would be directed to the new hosting location.

 

My blog has was hosted on an Earthlink server but my disk space was severely limited and so it was only logical to move it onto the Rambler site.  I would like to remind all the blog readers that the thoughts and opinions expressed here on the blog are mine alone and are not meant to represent the opinions or positions of the Salinas Ramblers Motorcycle Club or any other organization I am associated with.

 

Finally, because of these changes, I have also changed my e-mail address for the blog to edsblog@sbcglobal.net.  So, please delete any previous addresses from you address books.  I will be sending out a notice to my mailing list after the holidays.  Merry Christmas!

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December 21, 2005

Message for Mike Zesiger regarding the Jade Mill project.                                                     

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Hi Ed;

Here is some info on Jade Mill for your Blog:

Brian White has scheduled a work day at Jade Mill on January 7th at 10 AM.  Work will consist of installing fences and a Kiosk.   I've noticed there has been some bashing on the Web of Brian White and OHV support of his efforts.  Something that everyone should realize is that Brian has shown a willingness to work with the OHV community and has been receptive to our input. 

The efforts of the OHV community have improved the Jade Mill project plan in many important ways.  This includes locating the perimeter fence in a way that keeps as much of Jade Mill available as possible.  It also includes the maximizing of the camping area available, a kids only area and a trail around Jade Mill to R002.  This trail will keep riders off the road for safety and allow the Wild Piglet to continue to start at Jade Mill.

The OHV community needs to realize this plan was going forward with or without our input.  Nobody wants to see a fence go up at Clear Creek and I never thought I would help put one up.  But here I am working with the BLM...  Crazy, but I hope by us working with Brian, we might mitigate some of the issues we are battling to keep Clear Creek open.

Hope to see some of you readers out there on the 7th.   If we get enough volunteers, maybe we can even get a play ride in during the afternoon..

I would also like to thank Jim Boardman, Blair Pine and Mike Scruggs for working the Repsol booth with me at the San Jose Motorcycle Show last Sunday.  The rain kept the crowd down a bit, but we passed out a lot of fliers and the reception to the "Case for Access" program was very good.

Regards, Mike Z
 

My thanks also to the Timekeepers for your help with the Repsol booth on Sunday.

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December 18, 2005

A Case for the Creek                                                     

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Repsol and Motorcycle Stuff have announced that they will donate a Repsol T-shirt with every case of oil purchased during the promotion next year.  The program is named "A Case for Access" and is detailed on the Rambler web site.  The name was chosen because the promotion is benefiting the legal defense of both the El Dorado National Forest and Clear Creek, two areas where the Blue Ribbon Coalition is helping Northern CA off-road riders.

 

My personal slogan is "A Case for the Creek" and I hope everyone reading this will consider buying a case of Repsol lubricant to help with the legal challenges ahead of us at Clear Creek. 

 

Thanks to Manuel Datan, Frank Rodgers, Brian Winn, Charlotte Gomes, Mindy Tidwell, Denise Jones, Amber Phillips, John Phillips, Mike Or of the Salinas Ramblers, Carl Anderson of Central Coast RUTS and Diedre and Ben Jay of the Hollister Hills Off-Road Association for their help at the International Motorcycle Show.

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December 14, 2005

Stickers                                                     

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I just don't get it.  Why is it that people think they can come down to Clear Creek without current green/red stickers on their bikes or without their paperwork if they have a new motorcycle or quad?  Maybe they think that no one is checking or cares?  Well they do and if you show up in Clear Creek without a current sticker or if you don't have it displayed on your bike, you could be subject to a fine if you get caught.

 

I don't recall the fine for not having a current sticker but I believe that the fine for failure to display is either $40-50.  Don't be stupid.  Put your sticker on you bike and if you don't have a current sticker, get one!

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December 12, 2005

International Motorcycle Show                                                     

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I will be up in San Jose working the International Motorcycle Show this coming weekend in the Repsol booth distributing information about the Repsol promotion and the BlueRibbon Coalition.  Members of the Ramblers, Timekeepers, Hollister Hill Off-Road Association and other friends of Clear Creek will be helping out.  If you are going to the show, stop by to learn about the Repsol lubricants that are part of the promotion to benefit the Clear Creek Legal Defense Fund.

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December 7, 2005

Weekend Fun                                                      

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Usually this time of year I am down at the Creek working on the Quicksilver but this year we have a new Trail Boss, Jordan Brandt, so I have some time to play.  This past weekend I had the chance to meet and ride with some "names" that I have heard or seen on TV or in the magazines.  Seems that the Paso Robles area has turned out some fast guys:  Jake Zemke, (roadracing)  Nathan Woods (WORCS champion) and Johnny Murphree (dirt track, national #20) to name three.  They showed up at the Rambler property as guests of Randy Bereman and John Phillips.

 

I had a chance to talk with them about the challenges that we faced at Clear Creek and was pleased to learn that these guys enthusiastically support our efforts. In fact Johnny said that he has a bumper sticker on his truck back in Illinois and everyone asks him where Clear Creek is!  Using an idea I stole from Josh Golden, I had each pose holding a Save Clear Creek bumper sticker.  Thanks Josh!

 

Afterwards, we took a ride around some of the best of the Creek and it seems that the Creek got the best of Johnny and another guest.  Actually, it was the rocks on T159 that broke a front caliper on one bike and put a hole in the case on Johnny's bike.  After patching things up as best we could I volunteered to lead the wounded bikes back to camp while the rest of the boys from Paso continued their ride.  As this was my second ride of the day, I wasn't totally disappointed in missing the rest of the ride.  In fact I was tired.

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December 5, 2005

Weekend Help                                                      

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I would really like to thank the people who have helped at the entrance the past two weekend handing out information about the Repsol promotion and fund raiser.  Two weekend's ago it was Diedra and Ben Jay who took a couple hours of their Saturday morning to help with the greeting duties.  Djay and Ben are very active in the Hollister Hills Off-road Association and have volunteered to spearhead the distribution of flyers in the park.  Also, thanks to Josh for introducing them to me.

 

This past weekend Charlotte Gomes, Denise Jones (Rambler members) and Steve Koretoff  kept me company and helped handle the increased traffic that resulted from the recent rain.  Steve drove over from Fresno to help on Saturday morning and then left to go to a wedding.  Didn't even bring a bike.  Now, that's dedication!  Denise and Charlotte were probably a welcome relief to riders who, by now, must be tired of seeing my mug out there.  During an interlude in the traffic, Denise told me that her father had worked in the mines and the processing plant in King city for twenty-five years and was still going strong.

 

I really appreciate the help and hope that other people will contact me to help getting the word out about how the BLM and EPA are trying to screw us and how two distributors, Repsol and Motorcycle Stuff are helping us preserve the riding opportunity in Clear Creek.

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December 2, 2005

Use Fees                                                      

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I received an e-mail from Ghostrider's MC's  LAO, Mike Napoli the other day.  He wanted to let me know about a new LAO page the club had put up on its web site and he included a copy of a survey that the BLM is apparently circulating regarding use fees at Clear Creek.  Thanks, Mike!

 

I have really mixed feelings about the subject of a user fee to use Clear Creek.  On one hand I know they need money to add additional staff to better manage the area, this past weekend being a case in point (see Nov. 30 entry below).  On the other hand, the BLM has squandered millions of dollars of green sticker funds over the years and now they want us to pay for them to close over half of our trails and most of the barrens.

 

OK, its not even close.  I say NO to any user fee until they change their tune on closures and start working with the OHV community to meet our needs.  The BLM dug themselves into this hole and they should come up with a solution to fund the necessary services.

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December 1, 2005

Beehler's Punishment                                                      

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A small article appeared in the Monterey Herald today regarding Bob Beehler's punishment.  Seems that he got off with a slap on the wrist (3 year probation) and had to pay back the money he stole plus $5,000 more.  The BLM also let him skate.  Instead of firing him, they let him retire so he could collect his government pension.  What a joke.  He must have had pictures or something on his superiors to get off this easy.

 

The people who are truly being punished are the OHV users who recreate in Clear Creek. On his watch, he failed to implement the 1999 record of decision and failed to protect the San Benito Evening Primrose, thus evoking a lawsuit by the environmental community.  We are now stuck with the dysfunctional Hollister staff that he created that in turn has created a screwed up management plan that they are now trying to foist on us.  I'm glad that he's gone as this is a good riddance.  Wish we could get rid of a few more!

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November 30, 2005

Pathetic                                                      

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Congratulations to BLM Ranger William Schwarz for busting some butthead who cut a fence opposite Indian Hill staging area and proceeded to cut down a tree that they then drug over to their camping area and burned.  I understand they also cut another tree someplace in the canyon too.

 

The title of the entry is pathetic because this is how I view both the perpetrator of the crime and also the other campers at Indian Hill who not only didn't stop the idiot but who also would not give him up when William confronted them.  Is this the state of the OHV community or just that portion who turned out over Thanksgiving weekend. 

 

For the life of me I can not understand why the BLM can not increase their patrols during these busy weekends, especially in the evening when a lot of crap happens.  Other public servants work holiday weekends, why not members of the Hollister Field Office?  IMO, another sign of a lack of leadership and vision.  I sure hope they hire someone to take Beehler's place the kick this organization in the ass.  I see the team assigned to Clear Creek (Brian, Garrison, Dave and William) working their asses off with no support from Hollister or Sacramento.  That's pathetic too!

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November 29, 2005

Latest Threat                                                      

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The latest threat comes from the wonderful people at the EPA who started this whole mess to begin with. This past week the EPA was kind enough to send me a copy of their latest risk analysis that is based upon sampling that they did between November 2nd and 3rd, 2004.  I have posted the report on the Rambler's Clear Creek page for all to see.

 

It is important for people to understand that the zealots at the EPA believe that one fiber of asbestos could kill you and thus the doom and gloom risk analysis.  On the other hand there is a scientist who has studied the Clear Creek asbestos for almost 20 years and who has declared that it is harmless.  So, who do you believe?

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November 22, 2005

Guest Editorial  by the "Plant Guy"                                                      

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Now for something completely different.  David Tharp, AKA Plant Guy, is an avid dirtbiker and has helped with the fencing projects in Clear Creek to protect the threatened San Benito Evening Primrose and has taken a great interest in the plants that grow in Clear Creek.   He has become very frustrated at the lack of response he has gotten from the Hollister BLM staff, likely because they are afraid he might discover something favorable to the OHV community.  After a recent e-mail expressing his frustration, I invited him to "get it off his chest".  Here is the result:

 

Ed has graciously asked me if I would like to put together an editorial to share some of my plant findings in CCMA. Thanks Ed.

 

I want to make it perfectly clear that these are MY opinions drawn from information I have personally gathered. NOTHING MORE!   I am a Biological Science major and I am currently working on my Bachelors Degree, Concentration in Conservation and Organismal Biology, Botany Emphasis. Kind of a big title, I prefer Plant Guy. I am an amateur at botany but am working away from the amateur title with hopes of bringing some common sense to battles like the one thrust upon the OHV community concerning the CCMA.

 

Here are a few of my observations from the past couple of seasons concerning the native flora in CCMA.

 

I have been working toward completing an accurate plant list of the native species in the CCMA and have been surprised at the amount of rare plants that are endemic and are present in the area. This is a double-edged sword, in that, it points out the absolute unique conditions in the CCMA. The ultramafic soil conditions are a perfect show case of species adaptations, yet these same conditions are conducive for an extremely high quality OHV experience. From a management standpoint these two factors have created an explosive set of circumstances.

 

In Dean Taylor's 1990 study of the San Benito evening primrose and information I have gathered from contacts in CNPS it appears; most known sites are right along roads, which leads me to believe that most of the people doing research don't travel very far from their vehicle. It also appears that other people who are doing this research tend to continually return to known locations with out much thought to searching out new populations. Time and travel is most likely the reason for the lack of interest in locating new populations.

 

This spring (2005) I located many Camisonia benitensis individuals well away from of a couple of known, fenced occurrences. One such example is the 28 very healthy individuals I observed about 80-100 meters from an enclosed area. I am not sure if any one knows of this location and others like it and because of the apparent animosity from the BLM towards the OHV user, disclosure of information about flora of CCMA is impossible at this time. So I will continue to search out and document new populations on my own.

 

On November 13th I spent the morning riding and the afternoon hiking the creek bed. I found three more List 1B and many List 4 species to add to my personal plant list. The more I find/learn about them, the more I realize it's not so much the plants that are unique, it's the location and environment that they have adapted to. For instance there is a plant that I have observed in every riparian area in the CCMA, it is called Guirado's Goldenrod (Solidago guiradonis) and grows in weed like fashion, extremely abundant yet it's listed as a plant species of concern (final EIS, 3-23 and CNPS List 4) the only reason I can think of for such a listing is its adaptation to serpentine and the limited open serpentine areas that remain unpopulated by humans.

 

My final observation is the language used in some of the studies I have read and the actions resulting from this language. “Potential habitat”, for instance. When a person with sufficient experience uses this remark in a scientific study it has an effect that rivals actual evidence of existence. One example I can site is the fiasco currently unfolding at Hollister Hills SRVA. The wording was used by a biologist to describe an area that was of “potential habitat” to support a certain amphibian population, yet he failed to state if he observed any of the species in the location noted as “potential habitat”. This has allowed the Department of Fish and Game to halt any reasonable chance of opening the property until further studies can be concluded. Yes, this wording “potential habitat” has been used many times, in many different studies involving Camisonia benitensis in CCMA.

 

Those are a few of my thoughts on my findings with regards to the unique environment within the CCMA. I will continue to ride, camp, hike, search out, and document new populations of the rare plants in the Clear Creek area, with hope, that some of the information I gather will at some point be a useful tool in the responsible management of the area, and I don’t mean closing or fencing more prime riding locations.

David Tharp

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November 16, 2005

Something big coming down the pike!                                                        

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I am pleased to announce that Motorcycle Stuff, a nationwide Distributor and Repsol, a Spanish oil company,  are stepping up to the plate to help the northern California off-road community in our land use battles.  While the exact details are still being finalized, Repsol and Motorcycle Stuff have told the Salinas Ramblers, District 36 and the BlueRibbon Coalition that they will donate a portion of their January, February and March sales dollars (not profit but gross sales dollars) to the Clear Creek and El Dorado National Forest legal defense funds that are hosted by the BlueRibbon Coalition.  This is huge and something that EVERY motorcyclist in northern CA can help with.

 

Very shortly we will be getting out press releases and information about the Repsol products covered by the promotion and locations where you can purchase Repsol products. This information will be posted on the Salinas Rambler's web site. To maximize the benefit from this promotion we will need everyone to spread the word in the motorcycle community.  It doesn't matter if you only ride a street bike, scooter or even a quad..  All Repsol sales to dealers in Northern CA will be counted!

 

If you watch road racing on Speedvision, you will have certainly heard of the Repsol Honda team that competes in MotoGP, the Formula 1 of motorcycle racing.  Repsol is also the official lubricant and major sponsor of the Red Bull/KTM Dakar Rally team.

 

A special thanks goes out to Joaquin Aranda, the local representative for MC Stuff who put this deal together along with Ignacio Belloni, the Brand Manager for Repsol.!!

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November 14, 2005

Weekend Report                                                        

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Well, half a weekend report, to be exact.  I had intended to stop by the office on Friday for just a moment on my way down to the Creek and ended up spending four hours.  I finally got down there about 2PM and took a ride up to our meadow to inspect a fence that our neighbor recently built that cuts off T140.  More on this in another post.

 

On Saturday morning I headed down to the CC entrance to work with Jim Kennedy and Carl Anderson, both members of Racers Under the Son, to distribute information about the Clear Creek battles and to educate riders.  I guess it is because it hasn't rained much this year that the number of visitors is still low or it may be that many people drove in on Friday, taking advantage of the three day weekend.  Whichever, we probably only greeted around 50-60 people between 8 AM and 10 AM.  I really appreciate the help from Carl and Jim and hope that more people will step up and volunteer to help.

 

Afterwards, I went back to the club property and hooked up with several other members for a five hour, one leg cramp ride on some of my favorite trails.  I started the ride following along behind the group that included an 11 year old on an YZ85 and our two newest club members.  As the ride progressed, I eventually took the lead and led the group out to the Spanish Lake area.  The 11YO, RJ Mendez, hung with us through all of the nasty rock trails and only had to be helped a couple of times by his father or uncle. The kid is a an expert in the 65cc motocross and just recently graduated to an 85cc.  RJ can't touch the ground when on the Yamaha and I think this will help him become an even better rider.  If you think about some of our off-road racing legends like Larry Roesseler, Dick Burleson, John Martin and Shane Watts, the one thing they have in common is that they are all under 6 foot tall, some significantly under.  The take-away here is to get up on the pegs and go faster!

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November 11, 2005

BLM Problems                                                        

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Happy Veterans Day!

 

It seems that the BLM has a lot of problems in California.  Bob Beehler was just one of them.  Until I received a web editorial about the BLM's problems, I was unaware that that a BLM employee in charge of the Carrizo Plain National Monument (San Luis Obispo County) had committed suicide because of problems she had with her manager.  Doesn't surprise me since this agency has really gone downhill in the past five years.  What is really sad is the comment made to me by a person who deals with BLM land manages around the west.  They told me that Bob Beehler, in their opinion, was one of the BETTER managers in the BLM.

 

So it appears that we are stuck with a dysfunctional agency run by people more concerned about politics, their next job and whether their actions are going to generate a lawsuit than they are about the health of the land and the needs of the public.  Having said that, there are good quality people in the agency and hopefully, someday, some of them will rise to positions of responsibility and actually reverse this slide.

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November 9, 2005

Doc Wong                                                        

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I am pleased to report that the Salinas Ramblers hosted another Doc Wong dual sport and dirt riding skills clinic at the club property last Sunday.  Doc (he's a chiropractor) had a good group of riders participate.  Riders skills ranged from almost first time novices to intermediate off-road riders.  The bikes ranged from a 950 BMW to a XR80.

 

I would like to thank Doc Wong and this students for their donations to the Clear Creek Legal Defense Fund. Their donations amounted to right at $1,000.  Doc is planning another clinic in the January timeframe.  If interested, contact him to get on his mailing list.  He also puts on street riding clinics and suspension clinics up in the Bay Area.

 

Thanks also go out to Off Road Only (San Jose) and Motion Pro for the donated products that were handed out during the lunch break.  Finally, thanks to the guest instructors/coaches Joe (Racer) Wytman, Ed Willis (Motion Pro), and Carl Anderson (Central Coast Racers Under the Son) for their assistance during the clinic.

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November 7, 2005

What next, tattooed numbers on the arm?                                                        

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The following e-mail is from a blog viewer:

 

Hi Ed,

I don't know if you have heard, but Saturday, 11/05/2005, when I drove in to Clear Creek at the main entrance Brian White was at his trailer and required every one to stop and "register". Basically he wrote down my truck's license plate number, and advised of the usual rules. He didn't ask for any names or have me sign anything. I came through at about 9:45, and there was no one else there in line so it wasn't a big impact. But his sign indicated that all must stop to be registered.  I didn't ask, but am wondering what is the motive. Getting a vehicle count, or knowing who to talk to if there are violations and trespass.  I thought you should know!

 

Once again, without consulting the OHV community, the BLM is instituting a new program to "register" visitors to Clear Creek.  According to the October newsletter the program is "voluntary".  I guess that means you can drive by the entrance station if it is manned and wave.  Hopefully no BLM personnel will throw themselves in front of your vehicle.

 

The program is designed to collect information about the public visiting the area but I don't see the need for taking license plate numbers.  According to Don Amador of the BRC, no other OHV recreation area in California does this, not even state parks.  So what gives?  According to Brian White of the BLM some goals of the program are:

 

1) Increase visitor compliance by requiring license plate numbers. (Requiring doesn't sound voluntary to me).

2) Foster greater visitor respect of the area and a sense of BLM presence in the area.

3) Provide valuable information on visitor use (e.g. number of persons per vehicle), on relative numbers/types of OHV's for planning purposes and where folks are coming from - what newspapers to publish notices/press releases in, where to have public meetings.

4) Provide a method for following-up on egregious violations

 

In my opinion, the BLM is once again doing things half assed by not consulting with the OHV community.  I am afraid that this is going to make more people drive in the New Idria side where the BLM historically has little presence and create more animosity between the OHV community and the agency.  Perhaps someone out there can contact the American Civil Liberties Union to see if there is a right to privacy case here.

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November 3, 2005

Lawsuit                                                        

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Received an update from our attorney on Monday regarding the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the California Native Plant Society.  You will remember that earlier this month I had gone to court, first to attend a hearing by Judge Fogel and then later to attend a mediation session before another judge.  Apparently the Government's attorneys and the environmentalist's attorneys were unable to agree on any "interim relief" and thus left it up to Judge Fogel to make a decision.

 

On Friday, 10/28 he ordered the BLM to abide by the 1997 US Fish and Wildlife's biological opinion and to get the EIS process completed by February.  He did nothing to close anything in Clear Creek, which is good new for the OHV community.

 

Now we must keep the heat on the BLM to keep our trails and barrens open at the end of the EIS process.  Our attorney has filed a formal protest with the BLM and I hope that there will be some discussion and negotiation as a result.  If not, the we may have to seek relief through the courts.  We have spent a tremendous amount of money so far in this battle and we still have a ways to go.  It is time for another round of giving and so Reverend Ed must again pass around the collection basket.  The Timekeepers have once again come through with a healthy donation collect at their recent hare scrambles event and I have a new batch of bumper stickers on order. 

 

So, please, when you finished reading this write out a check and send it off to the BlueRibbon Coalition and make sure you note that the donation is intended for Clear Creek Legal Defense.  Alternately, you can make a donation on-line on the BRC's donation page.  Again, please earmark the donation for Clear Creek Legal Defense.  Thanks!

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November 1, 2005

Blue Ribbon Magazine                                                        

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Josh Golden has published another article about Clear Creek in the BlueRibbon's October edition of its monthly magazine and I added a guest editorial.  I hope everyone reading this is a member of the BRC and receives a monthly magazine.  If not, you should join!  Here is a link the this month magazine's articles.

 

I wrote this piece a couple of months ago and Josh submitted it along with his article.  I had been watching the mini-series Into the West on TV and could really relate to the Indians.  Clear Creek OHV enthusiasts are being treated very unfairly by a local and state office BLM managers who seem more interested in career advancement and image than the do in serving the public that pays their salaries.  This is a very sad situation that one would hope would not happen under a Republican administration.

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October 30, 2005

Catching up                                                        

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The last couple of weeks have been a bit stressful and very busy.   Unfortunately, the blog has suffered.  Last night I brought my wife home from Stanford University hospital where she had undergone a major surgery.   The good news is that she is in good shape and was released a day earlier than expected. 

 

I was down to the creek last Saturday to help with a new building that the Ramblers are constructing and to clean up my trailer.  I did a couple of hours at the entrance, greeting visitors, handing out a flyer explaining the current situation in Clear Creek and encouraging people to make donations to the legal defense fund.  I was surprised by how few people drove in between 8AM and 10AM.  Maybe they came in Friday night?  Or, maybe they stayed home because of the cost of gas or because it has not rained.  I intend to check with the BLM to get their headcount since they are also greeting folks..

 

During a slow period I had the opportunity to listen in on a briefing being given by the leader of a group of rock hounds who had met at the entrance.  The leader had a number of samples of the rocks they were going to look for.  One sample was a belt buckle fashioned from a rock that he found over by the Aurora Mine.  It was a beautiful multi-colored piece.  He promised a picture so I could add it to the Rambler's Clear Creek web site.  Who would have thunk that beneath the rough exterior there could be such beauty!  And, I learned that chromium rock is four times heavier than water!

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October 19, 2005

True Colors                                                        

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Yesterday, I spent most of the day in a courtroom in San Jose.  I was asked to be there to consult with our attorney during a mediation session to try to determine "interim relief" in the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and California Native Plant Society (plaintiff) against the BLM (defendant).  Throughout the early discussion, the plaintiffs kept harping on the need to reduce the size of the route system and the government kept telling them that they were engaged in a process to determine the route system and that they could (or would) not do so.

 

The judge in the case met privately with both sides and then later approached the OHV groups to enlist our help in trying to formulate a resolution.  Since we are only interveners, we did not get the same degree of attention as the plaintiff or the defendant.  During his brief discussion with us,  I commented to the judge that it appeared to me as a layman and novice at this type of process that the plaintiffs did not seem interested in finding ways to protect the plant.  Rather it was blatantly obvious that they were just using the plant to push their closure agenda.  Surprisingly, the judge, with a smile, acknowledged that this seemed to be the case.

 

After lunch, the judge threw all the parties together and told us to talk together some more.  To his credit, Paul Turcke, our attorney, took the lead in facilitating discussions between the two sides and gradually the discussion shifted more to actions that the government could take during the completion of the EIS process to protect the plant.  Of course, these actions requested by the plaintiffs included closure of routes and areas heavily used by the OHV community.  So what else is new.

 

I have never been under the delusion that these environmental groups really wanted to protect the San Benito Evening Primrose but this session really revealed their true colors.

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October17, 2005

Pinenuts                                                        

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This may seem kind of strange but the weekend that Clear Creek reopened, I went off riding in the mountains outside Minden, NV.  Actually we started right after a brief snow storm from the south shore area and worked our way up and over the Kingsbury Grade on snow covered trails.  Aside from some roads to transverse the Carson Valley, most of the day was spent on single tracks and in sand washes on the east side.  My lack of conditioning due to a lack of riding the past four months was clearly evident later that night although I did not suffer from late night leg cramps that usually follow a hard day of standing on the pegs.

 

It was good to get out of town for a long weekend and to spend some time with dirt riding buddies up in Tahoe.  One of them runs the Lakeside Inn and Casino where we stayed.  Now it will be back to the Creek for the winter.

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October12, 2005

Jade Mill Update                                                        

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Had a note from Mike Zesiger, a member of the Timekeepers MC, and the person who has volunteered to lead efforts for the OHV community on the Jade Mill project.  Mike wrote that he had an update from Brian White of the BLM.  Apparently they have been busy this summer installing two toilets at the upper Jade Mill camping site and they have graded the road.  How is this possible, you might ask, given the dry conditions?  Well, apparently the Jade Mill sits on a  section of Clear Creek that is outside the "so called" hazardous asbestos area.  It is easy to tell because of the oak trees that inhabit the site.  You won't find them growing in the gray serpentine soil that makes up much of Clear Creek.

 

There are additional plans to reroute the main route in the area, R002, away from the camping area to keep dust down, close numerous rutted routes around the site and hopefully build a larger track for small bikes so families with children will have an alternative to Oak Flat.  Mike can use help with this project as it continues to develop this fall and winter.  If you are interested in helping, please e-mail him at mjzesiger@yahoo.com.

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October 9, 2005

Stupid Hurts, Part 2                                                        

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For the past several years I have stood at the entrance and admonished riders to stay on existing routes and not to travel cross-country or make new routes.  I want to believe that most riders are observing these rules.  Unfortunately, there are a few renegades who refuse to conform and have flaunted these rules.  There are also new riders coming to Clear creek all the time who don't get the message and think that it is a free for all.  Well, it ain't!

 

I have warned that this type of behavior would lead to problems and now it has.  One of the declarations filed by the Center for Biological Diversity contained numerous pictures taken in Clear Creek of cut fences, tracks in creeks, riding behind closed signs and random riding on semi-baren hillsides.  Now this behavior by some of our fellow riders is coming back to bite us in the ass.

 

As I said in Stupid Hurts "It is incumbent on everyone reading this blog to be proactive and try to educate these idiots, if that is possible.  If not, turn them in."  This will not be popular or easy but it needs to be done before these idiots screw all of us by their behavior.  If the judge decides to close Clear Creek because of these declarations and associated pictures, the blame will fall squarely on the heads of these riders.

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October 5, 2005  

Through October 15th                                                        

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The BLM asked me today to get the word out to the OHV community that Clear Creek will reopen on Sunday, October 16 and not on Saturday, October 15th as many of us assumed. 

 

Despite the fact that the Environmental Assessment stated that the closure would be from June 4 to October 15, when the Federal Register notice was published it stated that the closure would be from June 4 through October 15th.  I have also seen this stated in court documents.

 

The BLM told me that the public could park in Oak Flat and ride the county roads on Saturday but that the rest of Clear Creek would be closed.  Since they are under great scrutiny by our environmentalist enemies, I believe that they will continue to enforce the closure on Saturday, October 15.  A word to the wise: please do not violate the closure on Saturday.  Thanks!

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October 3, 2005  

Day in Court                                                        

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Spent the morning meeting with our lawyers, Paul Turcke (BRC) and Dennis Porter (CA4WD), and then attending the hearing on the Center for Biological Diversity's lawsuit to close Clear Creek.  I've never been in a federal court before and it was different from the domestic violence case I participated in as a juror, probably because this was hearing civil cases that involved federal issues.

 

The bottom line is that the status of Clear Creek is still in limbo and we may not know until just before the 15th if Clear Creek will be reopened.  The BLM management claims they intend to open Clear Creek on the 15th at the end of the dry season closure, but that remains to be seen.  I will keep you posted.

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October 2, 2005  

Lawsuit  Hearing                                                         

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Previously I had told you that the next hearing on the Center for Biological Diversity's lawsuit was scheduled for September 30.  At the last minute it was changed to October 3.  I plan to go to court tomorrow to listen to the proceedings as I am named in our pleadings.  I also will be meeting with Don Amador and our attorney tonight to develop a legal strategy for the EIS and the seasonal closures.  I will post again tomorrow evening with the results of the hearing both here and on the SRMC web site.

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September 28, 2005  

Bend over and squeal like a pig...                                                           

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...because the BLM is about to fuck you over.  Pardon my French, but I just received my copy of the EIS today and about the only good thing I can say is that at least a little bit of Clear Creek may be open again some day but it will be a pale image of its former self.  The BLM failed to heed the requests of the enduro sponsoring clubs and have closed most of the quality single track trails that we requested remain open for events.  I suspect they did this so that they could turn around and charge the clubs "cost recovery" fees to evaluate the closed routes for use on enduro events.  I can't speak for the Salinas Ramblers but I don't see how we could put on anything other than a challenging dual sport ride or family enduro on the routes they are leaving open and it will probably be cost prohibitive to pay the BLM to open closed routes for the event.

 

To add insult to injury, the BLM featured a picture taken in the Bowl (which will now be closed) on the cover of the EIS.  This is a deliberate and offensive insult by the anti-OHV bigots in the Hollister Field Office and Sacramento State Office against the OHV community.

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September 27, 2005  

Four days on a roof                                                            

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Woke up Saturday morning, rolled over and went back to sleep.  I had nothing pressing to do so I did something I rarely do - slept in.  This is actually a very hard thing to do if you are not totally exhausted, at least it is for me.  Around 8:30 the call came from my brother-in-law, Brian.  Ed, I could use some help roofing my house.  Not exactly the thing you want to hear that early on a Saturday morning (or any morning for that matter).

 

Nevertheless, I got up, dressed, grabbed a banana and headed out the door after picking up some implements of destruction (tools).  Had to! When I had to roof the new family room in 1985 and the bedroom addition in 1990, Brian was right there beside me.  Time to return the favor.  I just wish he had done it back when I could bend my knees.  Payback can be a bitch.

 

As I write this, we have almost completed the job, having worked all day Saturday and Sunday and again on Monday and Tuesday evenings. I don't remember hurting this bad ever from riding my bike but then I am suffering from CRS (can't remember shit) these days.  So, please don't invite me to help you with your roof, at least for the next 10 minutes.

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September 21, 2005  

Rain in Clear Creek                                                            

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According to the rain gauge at Santa Rita peak, it rained a half inch in Clear Creek yesterday afternoon.  Naturally, inquiring minds in the OHV community are asking "will the BLM reopen Clear Creek now that it has rained".  Don't hold your breath.  While they can slam the gates shut in a heartbeat during the winter if we get over a half inch of rain, it will take an act of God to get them open it up because of a little rain during the summer.  In fact a member of the OHV community did call the Hollister Office today to ask the above question and the response they got back was "OH NO, it won't open just because it rained, there is a lot of red tape involved to open Clear Creek."

 

Of course the BLM could also say that they could not open Clear Creek because it rained.  According to the stupid rule put in place by Bob Beehler and company in 2001, if Clear Creek receives a half inch of rain in 24 hours after the area has received eight inches of rain in a rain year (Oct. 1 to Sept.) they are now required to close the Creek for 72 hours.

 

So, there you have it.  Clear Creek remains closed because it is both too dry and too wet at the same time.  Only an organization like our government could create a scenario like this.  Maybe Hollywood could do a remake of the movie Catch 22 with Bob Beehler in the role of Maj. Major Major Major.  (sorry Bob but you're no Bob Newhart).  And unlike the original novel and movie, this story line would not be fiction, but then sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

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September 19, 2005  

Wrong Question at the right time - William's first Clear Creek  ride with Tobin                                                             

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It is hard to believe that William has been working Clear Creek since 1993, but it is true.  He started as a recreation planner and it was only later that he transitioned into a law enforcement role when it became obvious that there was a great need for a ranger to patrol Clear Creek.

 

I don't remember the exact circumstances leading up to our first ride together but I remember the results.  Along with my brother-in-law Brian, we met William at the Ramblers campground.  He was riding an old Honda XR250 that had not been well maintained by the BLM.  It would run but needed a lot of help and TLC.  Actually all the tender loving care in the world probably wouldn't have helped that bike much.

 

William had some experience riding and bragged that his grandfather was one of the developers of the original Hodaka.  I would brag too if my grandfather had designed one of the bikes responsible for the beginning of the off-road revolution that swept the United States in the late '60s and early '70s.  Not knowing his skill level and not wanting to "hurt" someone who I thought I might have to work with on projects at Clear Creek, we started by riding up the main road, through the meadow and out the upper gate.  I was in the lead followed by William and Brian was bringing up the rear.  William was taking his time because of his skill level and his mount.

 

Not more that a quarter mile out the gate on R007 in a left hand turn I almost had a head-on with a rider going really fast.  To avoid the accident, I swerved hard to the right.  To avoid the bushes and a drop-off on the side of the road I overcorrected and laid the bike down. The other rider stayed upright and didn't stop to see if I was OK.  He was going slower as he approached William and Brian who were out of sight of the near miss.  They proceeded on up to where they found me picking my Can-Am up and dusting myself off.

 

William later told me that that his first thought was "This guy (me), who is suppose to be a good rider, just crashed on a flat road.  He can't be a very good rider."  I probably mentioned something about a near head-on but William wasn't hearing it and starting to feel a bit cocky.  We proceeded up the road until we got to the asbestos warning sign near the turn-off to T143, the Picacho Rocks loop where we stopped for a moment to talk.

 

By now, William was like feeling one with the old Honda and increasingly cocky.  As we were about to take off, he said to Brian and myself  "Don't you have anything harder to ride than this road?"  There was just something about the way he said it that made me think "OK buddy, you want something harder, I've got just the trail for you."  I looked at Brian who was thinking the same exact same thing as I was and when I said Picacho Rocks, he nodded approvingly. 

 

For those not familiar with T143, it is probably the most rocky, challenging trail in Clear Creek that is legal to ride, especially when you start from the asbestos sign..  We use it every year as part of the AA loop on the Quicksilver National Enduro but rarely do we subject the C class to this challenge.  From R007 it starts off like any other old mine road but within a half mile turns to a rock and boulder strewn path through the manzanita, working it's way up gradually to the Picacho Mine.  I don't think it is over a mile long, maybe a little more, but it will give a good rider a workout.

 

I rode through it without much difficulty and Brain was not far behind me.  William, on the other hand, was having some problems.  Now normally, if I take some fresh meat on the Rocks trail, I will stay with them and help them get through.  Not this time.  Brian and I parked the bikes at the mine and proceeded to laugh our asses off as we listened to William struggle to get the Honda through the trail.  The routine was to ride a couple feet, drop it, kick it a bunch and then repeat the process.  He was cursing up a storm that would make a sailor blush and Sargeant Snorkle proud.

 

About a half hour later William finally made it to the top where Brian and I were waiting. He needed a break...and some easier trails.

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September 16, 2005  

Stood Up                                                                

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I got to Georgia, but Ophelia was a no-show.   She stayed out in the Atlantic and is just today pounding the North Carolina coast.  I ended up working twelve hour days installing/setting up software and training my customer and the motel rooms had no high-speed internet access.  As a result I am just now, on the airplane ride home, updating the blog.  I will post the William story this weekend for your reading pleasure.

 

I didn't get to see much of Georgia as I was in my customer's store from dawn to dusk.  I saw plenty of it while I was at Ft. Benning in the early '70 and I can tell you the weather has not changed much - still hot and humid!  Did not get a chance to get into Savannah proper but if it is anywhere as nice as the airport, I definitely want to make a return visit some time.

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September 10, 2005  

Off to meet Ophelia                                                                

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In case you are not paying attention here in CA, there is another hurricane spinning out in the Atlantic.  Her name is Ophelia and she is keeping the weather gods at the National Hurricane Center guessing as to where she is heading.  I know where I am headed tomorrow - Statesboro, GA by way of Savannah.  I'm not hurricane hunting, just going there to work with a customer.  I am hoping that Ophelia minds her manners and heads north and away from where I am headed.  In other words, I hope I don't end up with a case of the Statesboro Blues (Popularized by the Allman Brothers Band, sung here by the author Blind Willie McTell).

 

The blog will be slow but I have a good story about William to post sometime during the week, so stay tuned.

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September 9, 2005  

You know you live in California if:                                                                

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A co-worker has eight body piercings and none are visible

You make over $100k and still can't afford a house.

You take a bus and are shocked that two people are carrying on a conversation in English.

Your child's third grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring and is named "Flower".

You can't remember if pot is illegal!

You are invited to a baby shower with two mothers and a sperm donor.

A great parking space can move you to tears.

Gas costs a dollar more than anywhere else in the U. S.

Your car insurance costs as much as most peoples house payment.

You can't remember if pot is illegal!

It is barely sprinkling rain and every TV station is screaming "Storm Watch".

You pass an elementary playground and all of the kids are on their cell phones or pagers.

You think pot is legal or at least ought to be.

It is barely sprinkling rain and you leave for work an hour early to avoid all of the weather related accidents.

The Terminator is you Governor

If you drive illegally, they take your license.  If you are in the state illegally, they want to give you one.

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September 6, 2005  

Meeting with Congressman Sam Farr      

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On August 23, the Bear and I met with our Congressman, Sam Farr, and his Chief of Staff Alec Arago to discuss the situation at Clear Creek.  In advance of the meeting I had prepared a briefing paper identifying some of the issues that the OHV community had with the federal government.  It was a cordial meeting.  I have met with Sam before and the Bear really added to the meeting with his scientific knowledge and Peace Corp stories.  (Both he and Sam were Peace Corp volunteers but served in different countries.)  Top of the list was the Clear Creek EIS followed by the problem with the EPA and the summer closure.  Besides the issues, we also wanted to educate Sam as to the situation facing OHV recreationist  in Central CA and emphasize the need to keep as much opportunity as possible open in Clear Creek. 

 

As luck would have it, after the meeting with Sam, Bear and I talked with Alec for a while out in the hall.  During the conversation I told Alec that if had a lot more money I would hire a private investigator to follow Beehler to see what he did all day because, as I understand it, he was rarely in the office.  The next morning I had an e-mail from Alec with a note about Beehler pleading guilty the previous day, maybe right around the time we were talking to Alec. Talk about timing!

 

I believe that it is important to meet with our elected officials to keep them up to speed on what is happening with our sport.  If anyone wants to meet with their elected representatives (federal, state or local)  I suggest you contact their office and ask for an appointment.  Because their vacation is over, it might be a while before they can see you.  I will be glad to share my briefing paper/related documents that I gave to Sam Farr and help coach you.

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September 5, 2005  

It never fail to happen                                                                

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Just when you think you're getting ahead, something always seems to happen, doesn't it?.  Somehow my vehicles always seem to know when I get a commission check.  The latest is my Honda. The truth be known, I bought a lemon, a 1999 Honda Accord.  Actually most of the car is OK.  It is just the transmission that has major problems, again. 

 

Back in 2001, I had a problem with the transmission at 57,000 miles which was 21,000 miles outside of their puny warranty.  Because of the luck I had had with four previous Accords, I had not gotten an extended warranty.  Fortunately, Honda was gracious enough to pay half the cost of a rebuilt Honda transmission.  Now, four years later the rebuilt transmission has a bearing going bad and the diagnosis is once again a new transmission.  Except this time, Honda will do nothing to help.  Their customer representative told me on the phone that at some point I had to take responsibility for maintenance problems.  I politely told the asshole that I do take good care of my cars but there was nothing I could do if Honda designed a crappy transmission.  This, of course, fell of deaf ears.  When I asked where I could appeal his decision, he said that I should appeal it to him?!  Right.

 

So I am resigned to having to fork out a bunch of money for another rebuilt transmission.  I can tell you I will never buy another Honda automobile after this experience.  So much for a 24 year relationship.  I also suggest that no one buy a used 1999-2002 Honda Accord with an automatic transmission unless you are looking for trouble!

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September 3, 2005  

More on Bob Beehler                                                                

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The headline (yes, top of page one of the Monterey County Herald) on Wednesday morning was BLM Chief Admits Stealing Funds.    In part, it states that "the case dates to Oct. 16, 2003, when Beehler was confronted and "admitted stealing U.S. government money but failed to disclose the extent of his theft." 

 

I would like to know why he allowed to continue to run the Hollister Field Office for almost  two years and in the process continue to screw up the management of Clear Creek.  I cannot believe that the BLM would leave someone who admitted stealing from the Government in a position of authority for that length of time, but they did!  Now we are faced with a new management plan orchestrated by a criminal that will steal our trails from us.  Talk about a sorry state of affairs!  Thanks BLM management!

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September 2, 2005  

Virus, aftermath                                                                

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OK, I'm back on-line, I think.  I will be working to update the blog and the Rambler's web site this weekend.

 

Had a virus that would kill Internet Explorer periodically and run a lot of processes that slowed the computer down.  I have McAfee running with automatic updates but this one snuck through.  I hope for their sake that I never meet one of these people who write this stuff.   I'd like to beat the living crap out of them.  Now I know this is not the way a Reverend should talk but if Pat Robertson can call for an assassination, can't I call for a good ass-kicking?

 

What I learned.  Two important things.  First, if you get a virus, turn off the system restore function.  A virus can hide in the restore archives and not be found by a virus scan.  Second, scan in Safe Mode so you can delete files that are listed as system files but which are really trojans, malware, etc.  I kept scanning in normal mode and McAfee, Spybot and Adaware would clean thing up but the next time I turned the PC on again I was in trouble again.

 

I don't know where this infection came from.  I will probably change e-mail addresses in the near future and use a web based e-mail instead of the server/Outlook because every once in a while, as I would be deleting a spam e-mail, McAfee would pop up a message about something bad in the message.  Didn't even have to open the item, just tried to delete it.  Maybe something snuck in that way.

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August 31, 2005  

Virus                                                                

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Somehow I got a nasty virus that has disabled Internet Explorer and makes using the PC a real pain.  I have scanned and cleaned with a half dozen tools to no avail.  I hope to do more research the next couple of days and try to clean the PC up this weekend.  Check back next week.

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August 25, 2005  

More on Bob Beehler                                                                

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From the Associated Press:  Sacramento  A former Bureau of Land Management official has pleaded guilty to stealing more than 17-thousand dollars from the federal government.  Fifty-seven-year-old Robert Beehler of Hollister admitted using a government charge card and checks drawn on a government account to steal the money between early 2000 and July 2003, when he was the supervisor and field manager for the bureau in Hollister.

 

Beehler later submitted phony vouchers claiming the expenditures were for legitimate government purposes.  He is facing a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a 250-thousand dollar fine. Sentencing is scheduled for November 1st.

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August 24, 2005  

Hollister Field Office Management Change                                                                

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I learned today that Bob Beehler, the Field Office Manager in Hollister plead guilty to a criminal charge in federal court yesterday.  Don't know any more of the details about this but I would suspect that this is the end of his BLM career.  Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  I have complained for over three years to BLM officials about Beehler's performance (actually lack thereof).  In my opinion, many of our present difficulties can be traced back to his lack of leadership and lack of action to implement the 1999 Record of Decision. 

 

It is too early to speculate how this might effect the EIS process.  As soon as I learned about this I immediately e-mailed the State Director, Mike Pool, suggesting that they hold off on the EIS until they install a new Field Office Manager and allow him to review the logic behind the current Draft EIS.  Keep your fingers crossed!

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August 22, 2005  

New KTM Dealer                                                                

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There's a new KTM dealer in town.  Salinas, that is.  Pinit Motorsports on Abbott Street.  Proprietor is Steve Polk, a fellow Salinas Rambler member.  Steve was recently awarded a dealership and is proudly displaying the KTM colors at his shop located at 517 Abbott Street.  Steve had been a Cannondale dealer until they went belly up and and until just recently had been earning his keep by repairing motorcycles and building motors.

 

Steve does a great job rebuilding 4-strokes of any persuasion and has been building and tuning several Supermoto bikes.  He has a dyno in the shop and can performance tune both on and off-road bikes.  I had him tune my DRZ when I put a FMF "Q" on it last year.

 

If you are need of a good motor builder, give Steve a call at 831-771-1838.

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August 21, 2005  

You know you live in California if:                                                                

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A co-worker has eight body piercings and none are visible

You make over $100k and still can't afford a house.

You take a bus and are shocked that two people are carrying on a conversation in English.

Your child's third grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring and is named "Flower".

You can't remember if pot is illegal!

You are invited to a baby shower with two mothers and a sperm donor.

A great parking space can move you to tears.

Gas costs a dollar more than anywhere else in the U. S.

Your car insurance costs as much as most peoples house payment.

You can't remember if pot is illegal!

It is barely sprinkling rain and every TV station is screaming "Storm Watch".

You pass an elementary playground and all of the kids are on their cell phones or pagers.

You think pot is legal or at least ought to be.

It is barely sprinkling rain and you leave for work an hour early to avoid all of the weather related accidents.

The Terminator is you Governor

If you drive illegally, they take your license.  If you are in the state illegally, they want to give you one.

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August 18, 2005  

IBLA Appeal                                                                

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I just realized that I had not posted anything on the blog or the Rambler website about the appeal that we filed over the seasonal closure.  On the Rambler web site I had posted an update about our lawyers making a motion to overturn the seasonal closure as a part of the environmentalist's lawsuit.  That was done but rejected by the judge hearing the case on July 15th.  In anticipation of that ruling, our lawyers also filed an appeal with the Interior Board of Land Appeals on July 14 asking that the seasonal closure decision be reversed.  I will be updating the Rambler web site this weekend with more information about this latest legal action.  We are still awaiting word from the IBLA on our appeal.  I believe that they have 45 days to respond or we are free to take action in federal court.  I will keep you posted.

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August 17, 2005  

Missing Inaction                                                                

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Today's title is a play on words.  Usually I use the word "inaction" in conjunction with the BLM.  Now I have to use it to describe what has been going on with the blog (or hasn't been as the case may be).

 

I sell for a living and in recent months a number of my deals have dragged, postponed or procrastinated.   That all came to an end the second half of July and a number of the deals that were dragging and procrastinating finally closed.  Good timing since it was the end of the fiscal year.  Needless to say, I was really busy winning these deals and now starting to coordinate the projects.  Another deal that purposely postponed until August just gave me the nod today, so life is good and I will have some money to put in the bank (instead of taking it out as I had been doing - commission only can suck if you have some dry months).

 

Tonight I was spurred back into action by an e-mail from Mike who wrote "Tell Reverend Ed I miss his blog updates. I think I'm going into withdrawal. Nothing since July 12."   Since I don't want to see someone going through withdrawal, I figured I had best write something.

 

I also had a note from Justin, creator of the Save Clear Creek bumper stickers.  He sent me a picture of his new hand guards he had engraved by Enduro Engineering.  I asked him to see if we could get EE to make a donation to the BlueRibbon Coalition for each pair that they sold with the "Save Clear Creek" inscription engraved.  I will keep you posted on that.

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July 12, 2005  

Missing Bill Clinton                                                                

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Got an e-mail from Ray today with some good one-liners about Bill Clinton.  Apparently they were done by a black comedian for a Canadian audience.  Here you go:

 

"Yep, that's right - I miss Bill Clinton! He was the closest thing we ever got to having a black man as President.  Number 1 - He played the sax. Number 2 - He smoked weed. Number 3 - He had his way with ugly white women.  Even now? Look at him... his wife works, and he don't!  And, he gets a check from the government every month.

 

Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to honor Bill Clinton. The Dodge Drafter will be built in Canada.

 

When asked what he thought about foreign affairs, Clinton replied, "I don't know, I never had one."

 

Clinton lacked only three things to become one of America's finest leaders: integrity, vision, wisdom.

 

Clinton was doing the work of three men: Larry, Curly and Moe.

 

The Clinton revised judicial oath: "I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I think you need to know."

 

Clinton will be recorded in history as the only President to do Hanky Panky between Bushes."

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July 10, 2005  

Hurricane Dennis                                                                

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It's my daughter Julie's 28th birthday today.  Boy, do I feel old!  I guess I'll feel a lot older when she is forty, but this is bad enough.  She has been spending her birthday trying to stay safe with hurricane Dennis which hit the Gulf Coast earlier today.  She moved there last summer with her husband and since then Florida has been devastated by a number of hurricanes.

 

I visited a prospect (for business) earlier this year in Pensacola and was surprised to see how much devastation remained from Hurricane Ivan that hit last September.  It seems that every block in town has a house with a blue tarp on it.  I imagine there were a lot of tarps airborne today..

 

Growing up in Jersey we were rather immune from major hurricanes, usually just getting the remnants - a lot of rain and a little wind.  Much worse were the Nor'easters that would pound the eastern seaboard in the late winter.  I can remember visiting the shore with my Dad one march after a really bad on the took out the boardwalk in Sea Isle City along with the first block of homes along the beach.  Pensacola Beach looked a lot like that after Ivan.  Here are a couple pics.

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July 06, 2005  

Hazardous Duty                                                                

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My hat's off to William and now Jerry, the BLM law enforcement rangers who are working at Clear Clear.  Actually Jerry is the new head ranger in the Hollister office and he has been cutting his teeth, so to speak, by working Clear Creek during the closure. Prior to this assignment, he was guarding the Liberty Bell in downtown Philadelphia.  Talk about a culture change!

 

This weekend I met him for the first time as he was contacting a couple of large groups who were camping along R011.  Call me chicken, but you will not find me walking into camps of drunk people with guns and telling them to pack out and get out.  More power to them.  I had gone down to the creek to check on my trailer and to take a lap around the open county roads.  I ran into William who was stationed at the main entrance and chatted for a bit.  I observed one RV in Oak Flat and later ran into a family on quads out around the New Idria blue lake.  I also ran into Kari Prager of California BMW leading a shop ride for BIG dual sport bikes along R001.  All in all it was an unexciting ride except for the mud bogs along Sawmill Creek Road.  Guess I am not old enough for pure dual sport riding - it's too boring.

 

I know it will never happen but I would sure like to see Bob Beehler, George Hill or Mike Pool out there in the field confronting the public and explaining this bullshit closure.  Highly unlikely as these guys don't get their feet dirty, they just leave the dirty work to people like Jerry and William.  What do they care if someone gets hurt or worse?  They have to protect the public from themselves and the contrived threat schemed up by the good people at the EPA.

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July 05, 2005  

The difference between the Army and the Boy Scouts                                                                

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Things are a little slow with Clear Creek stuff so I will tell you a story.  Right after college I served in the Army.  I was fortunate to receive an Army ROTC scholarship that helped pay my way through college.  In return I had to serve a minimum of four years.  After officer basic at Fort Benning, my duty station was Ft Ord on the Monterey Peninsula area of CA.  On reporting for duty, I was assigned to the rifle marksmanship group where I served as a range safety officer on rifle ranges.  Now 'range safety officer' is a fancy name for scapegoat.  Every range had a full staff of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who really ran things. In fact, truth be known, the NCOs really run the Army.   Officers were assigned so that there was someone to blame if a basic trainee were to be injured or killed.

 

The rifle marksmanship group was headed up by a Lieutenant Colonel Smith.  I don't have a clue as to his first name; never cared to learn it.  Anyway, Col. Smith thought he was the reincarnation of John Wayne, complete with his stubby cigar.  He was the embodiment of everything an Army office should not be and a true example of the Peter Principle at work.

 

Col. Smith decided that it would be a good idea to have a meeting to talk to his troops (the rifle marksmanship group) about professionalism and es sprit de corps.  Since we trained almost every day of the week, he decided to hold this meeting on the Friday before Easter (Good Friday) from 12:00 to 15:00 when no training was scheduled.  Naturally there were a lot of upset people in the group who had plans for the Easter weekend.  Unfortunately, Col. Smith declared this a mandatory meeting.

 

We all assembled at the prescribed time in a classroom on the old beach rifle ranges and for almost an hour Col. Smith stomped around on the stage, much like George C. Scott's Patton character.  After an hour, he called a break for people to go to the latrine.  During the break, he invited people in the audience to tell a joke at add some levity to the proceedings.  Then he was back at it for another hour. 

 

I can't remember what previous plans this meeting was screwing up but I recall being just slightly pissed that we had to waste the Friday afternoon before Easter listening to this idiot preach professionalism to sergeants and officers who had or were making a career of the Army.  Kind of like preaching to the choir, you might say.  At the end of the second hour, Col. Smith again gave a break and asked for jokes. 

 

I raised my hand.  He looked at me and then looked around the room for another option but there were no other hands.  I should digress at this point to mention that Col. Smith did not  view me in a very positive light.  He had called me on the carpet once and warned me not to associate with certain other lieutenants in his command that he considered "Dope Heads" after I had failed a random drug test.  I was able to prove that the positive test resulted from prescription medication I was taking for a stomach ailment but this did not matter to Col. Smith.  The fact that I was friends with suspected Dope Heads was enough to convict me in his mind.

 

Back to the story.  So Col. Smith turns to me and I can see him chomping down harder on the cigar in the corner of his mouth.  He says, OK Lieutenant Tobin, what have you got?  I said, "Col. Smith, do you know the difference between the Army and the Boy Scouts?"  At this point I think he almost bit completely through the cigar when he says "No Lt. Tobin, what is it?"  My reply was "Sir, the Boy Scouts have adult leadership, Sir! 

 

Talk about getting the evil eye!  Most everyone still in the room, especially the NCOs, broke out into uproarious laughter, some crying from laughing so hard.  Col. Smith wasn't laughing.  When things calmed down, he went back at it for another hour, and continued to give me the evil eye.

 

The following Monday morning started normally.  A training company arrived and we prepared to train them.  I was in charge of a pop-up target range on the beach where trainees were taught to identify and engage targets as they appeared in their line of fire at various distances.  We had a group of trainees on the line with ammunition loaded when Col. Smith drives up.  He exits this staff car and makes a bee line for me.  He grabs me by my shirt collar and pulls me down range and lays into me.  You SOB, you ruined my talk on es spirit de corp, I have half a mind to leave you down here and have them start the firing exercise....  Of course I was all apologetic on the outside but on the inside I was laughing my ass off.

 

As it turns out, Col. Smith never got a chance to write an officer efficiency report for me.  He was suddenly transferred out of Training Command one day after the secretary for the full bird colonel in charge complained about Col. Smith harassing her.  Within the next year, the Army had a reduction in force (RIF) as Vietnam wound down and the entire staffing structure of the training group changed.  I was promoted to First Lieutenant and wound up in charge of the Rifle Marksmanship Group that Col. Smith had previously run but a year ago.   Col. Smith now became my customer as he had been assigned a training battalion but that's another story. 

 

I do have to thank Col. Smith for making me realize that I didn't want to extend my career in the Army since, at the time, it was populated with people like him.