Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

[flybum]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

Hello Everyone. I am new to the forum but have attended the Reno Air Races for the past 25 years, missing only a few years. After seeing the races so many times, the thing that still motivates me to drive from Fresno to Reno is the trip to the fenceline. Like a lot of people I paid my dues at the gate and concession stands for a couple of days and then would head for the fence. What a thrill! One year, a friend of mine from Reno, got me out on the No. 6 pylon back when Stead was still federal land. I can't tell you how neat that was. I am really debating whether or not I will make the trip this year, having heard about the closing of the fenceline. My experience was that there were very few problem people out there. Most folks were just there to have a good time and most were decent and fun-loving. I don't understand the problem, but like everyone said, the good thing couldn't last forever. If they start taking the fun away, maybe the crowd won't show up.

[irwriter]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

You should know that the homeowners in Silver Knolls are now REQUIRED to get stickers that show they live in the area, and they are REQUIRED to register any visitors to their homes during Air Race week! The notices that camping and other activities will be policed is INCORRECT, these people will not be allowed at all, and we will be stopped and forced to PROVE we live in the area if we do not get approved stickers for our own vehicles and guests vehicles before Air Race week. This is an outrage, and many of the homeowners in Silver Knolls are VERY upset about this situation. A few have spoiled it for everyone, but they've ruined what used to be the best week of the year for many homeowners out here.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

You should know that the homeowners in Silver Knolls are now REQUIRED to get stickers that show they live in the area, and they are REQUIRED to register any visitors to their homes during Air Race week!

There really is a lot of mis-information out there on this subject. It was the residents themselves who requested the restrictions due to problems encountered last year by those residents. Granted, probably not unanimous in the decision to do this but due to crimes and other disruption of the neighborhood, this solution was the one that has wound up being implemented.

After all, how would you feel if you could not get out of your driveway to get to work during race week? Had people you'd never seen or had no idea of who they were, camping next to your house? Mail not being able to get to your house due to the traffic?

In year's past, we tried to never allow mention of "The Valley of Speed" as a place where people could go to get a different perspective.. Those of us who were "hush hush" about it saw handwriting on the wall. ANY time too many people try to do the same thing in an unrestricted way, there will be reactions by neighbors and law enforcement, such as we see out there now.

Sorry but it's not RARA's fault.. it's OURS!

Wayne Sagar

[Pylon1_Mark]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

Sorry but it's not RARA's fault.. it's OURS!

I beg to differ Wayne.... it's the fault of people like BUD_XXX who abused the privalage of going out there with the "it's all about ME" attitude and not giving a rats patoo about anyone else but themselves... untill it was too late.

Sorry - but where I come from - if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck. Thanks for screwing it up for the rest of us Mr Duck. I shutter to think about what will happen when people like this are let loose in the pits..... bye bye pit pass.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

I beg to differ Wayne.... it's the fault of people like BUD_XXX who abused the privalage of going out there with the "it's all about ME" attitude and not giving a rats patoo about anyone else but themselves... untill it was too late.

Sorry - but where I come from - if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck. Thanks for screwing it up for the rest of us Mr Duck. I shutter to think about what will happen when people like this are let loose in the pits..... bye bye pit pass.

LOL... you know me.. I'm a generalist! As for me, last time I went out there was with you and Speedy back.. geez it was exactly 10 years ago!

My how time flies!!!

Gettin' close Snakie... ewe gonna make 'er? Got a good feed goin' on Saturday night sounds like! Good company too!

[MRussell]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

It's easy to get mad at the NIMBYs, but...

When you're out there, you're in a sacred place surrounded by decades of heritage and history, and it should be treated as-such (like a museum). Everyone who goes out there should be stealthy on the way in and stealthy on the way out. When we leave, this natural treasure of a venue should look exactly as it did when we arrived. Those who think it's appropriate to bring the family dogs, dirt bikes, quads, rock crawler Jeeps, and giant RVs combined with a 0.15 blood-alcohol content are truly the selfish among us. I always ask myself, what are they thinking? The spectacle we're out there to observe happens NOWHERE else on Earth! How DARE they take even the slightest chance of compromising that venue!?

Again: sacred ground.

[Pylon1_Mark]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

LOL... you know me.. I'm a generalist! As for me, last time I went out there was with you and Speedy back.. geez it was exactly 10 years ago!

My how time flies!!!

I remember that well... 1st time out there was like I died and went to heaven . Truely amazing... and truely sad those days of going out there are at an end. Oh well - at least we have our memories of good times, good people, and amazing sites and sounds.

Gettin' close Snakie... ewe gonna make 'er? Got a good feed goin' on Saturday night sounds like! Good company too!

Just got the word Tuesday... that's a big negative ghost rider. Vacation denied, mandatory overtime starting on the 18th of August. The FAA is playing catchup and are going to be pushing lots more peeps through the academy. I guess it is for the greater good - but that doesn't make me feel any less disappointed. Sucks to be me

[Leo]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

10-4 Wayne, Cobra and MRussell. When I went out there we always did it with the tude of watching something cool and leaving NO footprint. I have several friends that camp out there, all with landowners permission and without damaging the locale or p.o.'ing the locals. It had to eventually end, good things get abused by selfish people.
Cobra, need help? I'd give up the races right now for a little OT!
Guess it's all a matter of perspective...

[RichH]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

It's easy to get mad at the NIMBYs, but...

When you're out there, you're in a sacred place surrounded by decades of heritage and history, and it should be treated as-such (like a museum). Everyone who goes out there should be stealthy on the way in and stealthy on the way out...

Yeah, stealthy like all the dirt bikers and quad runners... and if you complain about them they proceed to tear thru your camp kicking up dirt. On the same day I observed the above incident (the camper who was violated made the mistake of announcing he had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it) at the end of race day a dirt biker (from the same group) was being obnoxious and repeatedly ramming the gate to the course b/c the fence patrol was not quick enough getting out there to open it. He was run off by the campers, and when fence patrol finally came to open the gate, it was indeed damaged.

Writing on the wall...

~Rich.

[Leo]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

A similiar problem with the bikes is happening just over the hill. In Cold Springs there is easy access to BLM land. One of the reason I moved there was the ability to ride a block, enter the desert and have fun. Unfortunately the road along the back sides of the subdivision is fairly closer than the 500' minimum riding distance. When the riders simply rode down the street then along the road to the open areas (both things illegal) nobody really cared. This was soon followed by bikes and ATV's riding up and down the streets at high speed, wheelies and generally dangerous riding on the streets. Along with this was the use of the access areas for rat racing. This led to riders leaving the trails and scarring the land near the housing. Dust, noise, damage to fences and safety on local streets all became issues to those living next to the open space. Now it is patrolled, there is a proposal to require licensing and ideas to limit access.
It is always sad when a few totally irresponsable people ruin good things for the rest of us.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Silver Knolls - Lemmon Valley - Good Neighbors

Snake.. truly sorry you can't make it! What a hoot it'd be to have the "AAFO'ers BBQ" be a Pylon 1 - AAFO BBQ... which it is anyway because just about everyone here visited both sites when they were both alive anyway!

On the issue of what folks will do when allowed..

<editorial>
We Americans biotch a lot about personal freedoms.. yet we almost always forget one major thing about freedom... Our founding father's knew it... "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance".. that does not only mean that we have to keep an eye on our government, lest they get too powerful and squash those freedoms, we have to keep an eye on OURSELVES and exercise personal discipline and common sense! Trespass on your neighbor's rights and you have violated HIS freedoms. Do that and someone will have to step in to ensure those freedoms are respected.

This is, exactly what I believe has happened in the "outback" around the course. Back in the day, when I was a kid living out there, we'd do just about anything and everything out in that desert. But there were fewer than 50,000 of us living in the entire area (it was closer to 25,000). The impact was far less. We generally did not stray off the established jeep trails.. Flying over there now, it's obvious that there is absolutely no respect for the beauty of that previously unspoiled desert area.

*sigh*</editorial>

Wish ya could make it Snakie!