NYCkayaker 2007 Poker Run Saturday June 16th

[David Gottlieb]

Kate,

I usually agree with you and I hope that this departure doesn¹t affect our
friendship.....  (and given that you don¹t really like the cigarette boats
yourself, I believe our friendship is in tact....

But the Poker race is very disturbing for a number of reasons....

* On a personal level, some of these boats shake my house miles before they
even reach Dobbs Ferry, where they race up the east side of the river,
opposite my house, and where I am trying to enjoy my father¹s day with my
twin girls.... Last year, the race even resulted in a crack on one of my
kitchen windows due to the vibrations.... It is unbelievable....
* More importantly, they are obnoxious, disturbing to everyone¹s peace, use
an incredible amount of fossil fuels, and pollute the river.. Some of these
monsters might be responsible for melting one glacier in one day of racing
(maybe I exaggerate...)
* Given our nation¹s dependence on foreign fossil fuel imports and our lack
of conservations and lack of development of real alternative energy as a
national strategy, they are a throwback to the days of cheap oil and of
rampant air, water and noise pollution and they serve only to undermine the
efforts of those who are trying to promote a more responsible lifestyle....

I will definitely stay out of the water on that day, whether it be in a
kayak, sail boat or my friend¹s inboard/outboard.... Even he can¹t stand
these cigarettes. I agree that it is ridiculous to schedule a swim event on
the same day as a cigarette boat race. The officials who approve these
diametrically opposite events are to blame and should be held
accountable....

David


On 6/13/07 10:37 PM, "Kate Cahill" <katecahill at optonline.net> wrote:

>> O.K., O.K.-- it  talkes a lot to get me to  put my 2¢ in, but--- I think Boyd
>> has a point. I don¹t like the cigarette boats myself, but I do believe the
>> river should be an inclusive place. It seems juvenile to criticize the Poker
>> run. What the problem is ­is that the scheduling of the swim did not take
>> into consideration that the Poker run happens in this section of the river
>> EVERY YEAR on the Sat. before Father¹s Day. I don¹t know  how long it¹s been
>> going on for, but seems to me at least 6 or 7 years.
>> Just to get a sense of who enjoys this event‹ go to  BoaterEd.com and check
>> the forum topics. You can read and discover that this is an event looked
>> forward to by many ³normal² people who enjoy the river and each other¹s
>> company at least as much as kayakers do.
>> Having the swim/kayak event during this run is akin to having family bicycle
>> day on the Bronx River Parkway during rush hour (instead of from 10-2 on
>> Sundays or whenever they close it to automobile traffic!)
>> 
>> -Kate
>> 
>> 
>> Obviously Boyd has never been on the water with these boats or had the
>> responsibility of a swimmer in the water at the same time.  If I know that
>> they are going to be on the water I stay off. Let them get their jollies on
>> the ocean where they cannot kill anyone else.  I was at the meeting this
>> evening, yes precautions for the swim are being put into place but that is
>> not excuse for scheduling the two events at the same time.  Live and let live
>> is rather different than live and let kill.
>>  
>> Lee
>> 
> 
> 
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