Opinion
Through a succession of parents who ran the track with donated equipment, outbuildings, gates, and lots of time and labor, the track was renovated several times. Over the years Races For Life were held to support the fight against Muscular Dystrophy, with huge rider turnout from locals as well as out of town riders and families.
The enjoyment that you get when watching these BMX riders from age 4 and up in the Big Wheel races racing their heart out, or if you were to purchase a raffle ticket, have a cold drink or snack, and continue to watch age group motos run while an announcer keeps track of developments over the public address system, is contagious. The competition always heated up when there were full gates of riders and dust often flew as legs pumped. Real Exciting!
Our local adults got into the competition as well on their Cruiser Bikes, or on unicycles. Also enjoyable to see was the trophy, medal or ribbons that were awarded. The faces of the children when they won was priceless.
Three years ago the Lake County Fairgrounds determined that the up and coming Westside Park could be the new home of the race track. We are working towards that goal, with Phase Two of the park to be completed in three or four years from now.
Lake County BMX is looking for a temporary home for the next three to four years. We need to lease at least two acres with water and electricity. We need help from our community to get this temporary project done so the kids can continue to race.
Lake County BMX is holding a raffle to raise depleted funds to lease a spot in which to race. We are offering terrific prizes, a BMX bike from the Bicycle Rack, an 83-piece tool set from Sears, a $100 carpet cleaning from Valley Carpet Care and a European facial from Butterfly Skin Essentials. You can buy tickets at the Bicycle Rack or from individuals who are selling the tickets. Any support from the community would be greatly appreciated.
Remember to watch BMX racing at the next Olympic games.
Ellen Karnowski has served as a track announcer, is a former board member and a supportive parent. She lives in Kelseyville.
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- Written by: Ellen Karnowski
“Pick On Someone Your Own Size!” says Herb Gura (Observer-American opinion letter not too long ago). The Konocti Unified School District board member assails Darrell Watkins for writing about “bottom of the barrel” test scores of his KUSD kids. Watkins said test scores will go up when more students do their home work and pay attention in class. Gura disagrees. Watkins also said, spanking delinquent kids and sending them back to class is better than suspensions and expulsions. Punishing kids by keeping them out of school is the nastiest kind of child abuse. Again, Gura disagrees. He wants to expel and suspend kids but never spank. He’d like to see Watkins arrested and put in jail.
Watkins would like to see Gura get out of the teaching business. He can’t teach kids to read, write and do arithmetic. He won’t answer questions about the test scores of his students. His letters are filled with typical Gurarian propaganda. He also has a bad case of spankophobia. Spanking is “violence,” Gura writes, with the connotation that violence is evil (apparently, it’s not violence when they send out swat teams to shoot down delinquent kids grown up). He also says spanking is “children smacked around” and describes spanking as “daily beatings.”
Gura’s rhetoric is good. Unfortunately, he watches too many Hollywood movies. A Hollywood spanking is a 6-foot, 6-inch six lumberjack (without shirt or shoes) holding a beer can in one hand, clutching a huge belt in the other and going after a trembling child praying by his bed. Hollywood never shows a terrified mother swatting kids who made a campfire under the house when she taught them not to play with fire.
Spanking is the “Gospel according to Watkins,” Gura writes. Spanking, however, is not Watkins’ gospel at all. Spanking is a 400-year-old American tradition taught by wise men and still, thank God, widely practiced. Wise men say, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.“ Gura’s Hollywood ideas don’t educate children and provide discipline for Konocti classrooms.
Darrell Watkins lives in Kelseyville.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
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