BMX: For Kids & Community

For the last two and a half years, Greg and I have been dili­gently working to establish an American Bicycle As­sociation sanctioned BMX track for the Waitsburg com­munity. When we joined this town four years ago, we saw the benefits for our four children and ourselves.

Previously, we had be­come involved with the Walla Walla BMX track and with the other families developing and using that facility. In addition to the exercise and healthy lifestyle sur­rounding BMX, a local track would permit an opportunity to bring families, friends and the community closer to­gether. We saw how team­work created friendly com­petition, built self-esteem, instilled courage and a spirit of cooperation among rid­ers, which may be missed if these riders were not able to have the BMX experience.

BMX allows youth and adults to participate in con­structive activities that en­rich their lives.

Young people are ac­tive and energetic. They are learning, growing and testing themselves and their environment. They need to and will blow off a bunch of steam. We want to provide them with another means of becoming healthy, both physically and mentally. The community has come together to support this proj­ect only to be stopped by an uninformed local govern­ment. The city council and the mayor gave us three reasons why they decided to reverse the decision of the previous council to let us use five acres of city land on the out­skirts of town for the devel­opment of the BMX track. First, they didn't know who was going to maintain the track. Second, there was no access to water, lights and restrooms. And third, they didn't know who was responsible for the insur­ance if someone got hurt when a race was not being held. They also said that the current council thought we dropped the ball on the track because they had not heard anything more about it until they saw an article in the Waitsburg Times regarding the Wilbur Ellis donation. We have reminded Mayor Walt Gobel, who called us after the Nov. 17 vote, of the statement we made at a council meeting at the beginning of the summer let­ting

the city know we were waiting for harvest to be completed before we would begin building the track.

I specifically gave a docu­mented and detailed presen­tation to the previous city council answering all of the very questions this council is now using as an excuse to deny the use of the land.

Had this council taken the time to read through that presentation, on file at city hall, the members would have found that: the main­tenance of the track is the responsibility of the track operators and BMX com­mittees; we intend to use port-a-potties for restroom facilities and generators for electricity until enough funding can bring in water, sewer, and electricity to the property. Lastly, they would have known that the ABA car­ries a $5 million liability insurance policy covering all participants, and spectators at the race. In addition, the council should be familiar with RCW 4.24.210, which states that any public or pri­vate

landowner is immune from liability when they open their land for recre­ational uses.

Farming and farming op­erations on city land, which is currently permitted, do not enjoy such immunity.

In my recollection, this summer my husband and I had a conversation with Mr. Gobel where he asked us how the track was coming along. We replied that we were waiting for the council to give us the green light af­ter harvest was done. One would think that since the council placed the BMX subject on the agenda of the Nov. 17 meeting, we would have received a cour­tesy call to inform us that the BMX track was being discussed. We did not.

What is very disturbing to me and many of the BMX-track supporters is that at the open forum held prior to this council being voted in, I specificallyasked the ma­jority

of candidates if they would support the previous administration's decision on the BMX track.

I specifically recall May­or Gobel, Councilman Bran­son and Councilman Dunn responding in the affirma­tive. Mayor Gobel told us on several occasions that he is behind us 100 percent and wants to see this track built in our community. I person­ally had a conversation with Councilman Branson after the open forum where he expressed his support on the current BMX track's loca­tion on 1st street. After I explained rules governing the sanctioning of an ABA track and why a sanctioned track could not be built at that location, he said he understood and that we were doing a good thing for the kids.

The past council spent ap­proximately 40 hours decid­ing if a national-class track would benefit our commu­nity,

our children and lastly the city's revenue. Their decision was based solely on the health and welfare of our youth and community.

Regional BMX races would generate revenues and benefits through the sale and taxation on food, lodg­ing, gas and from public­ity. Every weekend race can bring as many as 200 people from all over the state. Races happen every weekend for months at a time. A national race held here would resem­ble the events of Cycle Or­egon. The revenue potential for Waitsburg is significant.

The BMX track and re­lated activities are ongoing opportunities for the kids, their families and our local businesses. On the other hand, wheat is harvested once every year on fields mostly removed from town. Do you see hundreds of visi­tors coming and staying to watch harvest? Neither do I. But with BMX they do.