The six month anniversary of Carnegie Freedom Day is fast approaching. This anniversary is something that we can’t afford to forget because it is a reminder of what we can do with a little organization and planning. We are a formidable force because we share a common trait. We love our sport and we love Carnegie. Non-riders can’t understand the passion that motivates us and few can really describe the exhilaration that comes from riding a light weight, powerful machine over challenging terrain.

It all began last December when my husband and I were out riding at Carnegie. The rangers called a meeting and informed us that a lawsuit had been filed in Alameda Superior Court. The judge had issued an order closing the park until the state submits and gets approval for a waste discharge report from the regional water board. A waste discharge report is normally required from industrial polluters discharging toxic waste into the water supply. The judge agreed with the petitioners that heavy metal contamination caused by off road use was killing fish and it had to stop.

There is only one problem. There are no fish. The creek-bed is bone dry except during periods of heavy rain. In drought prone California, there is typically water trickling though the creek-bed only a few weeks a year (if that). But, to reiterate, there are no fish, never have been. Even during the wettest of rainy seasons the stream doesn’t go anywhere. It is absorbed into the flood plain and then lost to evaporation.

Also, the judge ignored the countless other potential sources of the supposed heavy metal contamination in the so-called creek (which wasn’t flowing that rainy afternoon). Those sources include Lawrence Livermore Labs, a Federal Superfund Site, and which operates a firing range where lead bullets are pumped into the hillside above the creek and where explosives are detonated nearby; abandoned coal mines; a former brick making factory with abandoned slag heaps from coal fired kilns; and illegal tunneling by Hetch-Hetchy.

We were incensed and organized a protest for December 28, 2009 which we called Carnegie Freedom Day. We also set up a website carnegieforever.org where anyone could sign a petition to keep Carnegie open. When I say “we” I am talking about Dave Duffin (our fearless leader), Gunnar Östergren, Hamid Majidy, Pete Krunich, Mark Speed, Mark Martinez and others.

With Dave Duffin (creator and director of Oasis for Kids Inc.) as moderator, thousands of off-road riders attended Carnegie Freedom Day in the rain on a weekday. Representatives from CORVA, Dirt Diggers, AMA, BRC, Oakland MC, and Club Moto were there, along with others. A diverse crowd of outdoor enthusiasts came to support our cause.

The rally featured a large contingent of children seated on and around the stage. Speakers included such notables as Suzuki’s Rodney Smith, who observed that Carnegie was the most challenging place he had ever ridden; Scott Dunleavy, owner of Berkeley Honda/Yamaha, who donated $200 dollars to the cause; and Pete Krunich, who gave the microphone over to the youngsters and let them say what they liked about riding at Carnegie. They all said that they enjoyed spending time with their families.

Also included on stage were Skip and George Horne (Carnegie Hill-climb promoters), who forcefully reminded us to keep up the fight and to vote the “so and so’s” out of office. Two local young up-and-comers, Pete Krunich, Jr. (Widow-Maker Hill-climb Champion) and Kacy Martinez (KTM sponsored WORCS Woman’s Cross County Champion and AMA Woman of the Year), who spoke to the crowd of growing up together riding at Carnegie with family and friends, and who expressed sorrow and loss at the possibility of loosing their favorite off road riding area.

There were many other speakers including Dave Picket from District 36: “We need your help. All you parents out there…You can do it…Use your vote”.  “Mr. Hangtown”, Ed Santin, took the microphone and reminded us that “Carnegie is managed, all the trails are managed, and it is our place to ride”. It is maintained with our green-sticker money.

It is said that the hero of the day was a nine year old young man who grabbed the microphone and said what everybody was thinking and nobody dared say; “Screw the judge…It’s the place to be… I want the judge no longer”. A few weeks later he received a gift certificate donated by Carnegie riders.

Then Don Amador, representative of Blue Ribbon Coalition, fake fishing pole in hand, jumped on stage and announced that they had made a mistake. “They had awoken the sleeping giant”. No truer words were ever spoken. To date the petition has been signed by over fifteen thousand riders.

OHV Division Deputy Director Daphne Green and Division Chief Phil Jenkins addressed the crowd to reassure them that Carnegie wasn’t going to close and if it did, it would not be closed for long. They discussed things that they were doing to protect Carnegie, such as filing a water discharge report.

After the speakers had finished, everybody got together for the Carnegie Freedom Day Ride. Hundreds of motorcycles and mini-bikes stormed quietly out of the parking lot and rode the access road from one end of the park to the other and back again. Mud flying up with the spray splattered riding gear and boots, but everyone seemed to enjoy the experience of solidarity as the day’s event came to a close.

Predictably TV crews weren’t able to find the creek. This lawsuit is retarded. There is a huge difference between mainstream environmentalists like those of us who ride at Carnegie who truly care about the environment, and the pseudo environmentalists who hate our sport and will do anything to shut us down. In the past, in theory at least, I supported groups like Blue Ribbon Coalition, but like so many others I put off joining. Instead I continued riding not giving much thought to overcrowding caused by recent land closures.

This was a wake up call and after attending Carnegie Freedom Day my husband and I joined Blue Ribbon and got involved. We discovered a lot of things by reading Blue Ribbon’s on-line magazine and visiting their web-site. One of those things is that we must stick together. We are under attack. Check out the National Monuments Act and the resurrected Road-less Initiative.

Although Carnegie is still open (we won the appeal), this has not ended the lawsuit. The battle will not go away anytime soon. We also need to form and join local groups like the non-profit that Dave Duffin and his friends at Carnegie Forever are putting together to represent our interests at Carnegie, and most importantly, we need to stay informed, vote, get involved and fight for our rights. “These are our rights”. ”We aren’t hurting anyone”. “We can’t let them take away our place to ride”. As Jason says, “Together we ride: Divided we walk”.

Lovely weather and clear skies greeted motor-cross fans this weekend for the start of the MX season with the Rockstar Energy Hangtown Classic sponsored by the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club (DDNMC). They did a great job with the track which was fast and flowing with multiple lines through the corners and along the straights. But as the racing progressed it became evident that passing on the rough and challenging track was easier said than done.

In the 450 class Chad Reed riding for Kawasaki got an early lead and took the win in the first moto with what seemed to be effortless ease. In the second moto things did not go so well for the veteran and with a mid-pack start he slowly picked his way through the pack. He needed a third or better to win overall. Chad gritted his teeth and showed the kind of determination that he is known for. Maybe due to the tracks roughness or because of its fast and flowing nature, passing was difficult, but Reed did not give up and kept pushing, making the game changing pass on the last lap for a third place finish which gave him the overall win.

In the second moto of the 450 class Mike Allessi got the hole-shot on his Jagermeister  KTM 350 and went on to win the moto for a second overall with a fourth in the first race. The displacement disadvantage did not faze him and he showed great overall speed and gritty determination. His victory speech after taking a triumphant victory lap was spontaneous and short, but his sponsor KTM must have been happy. He attributed his win to the new 350 KTM stating that it was the best bike in the field. Although he still manifests some rough edges, he has matured considerably and his ride in the second moto proved that he will be a force to reckon with if he stays healthy this season.

Red Bull Honda’s Davi Millsaps enjoyed a return to the motocross roots with a third in the first race and a second in the second race for third place overall. Davi has such a strong flowing style that it seems that he is not putting forth much effort. His finishes belie that impression.

The 250 class was no less exciting; in the first moto Christophe Pourcel got a good start and made his way to the front early on for what looked like an easy win. In the second moto with a mid-pack start Pourcel was struggling and after making his way up to third place was not able to make another pass and seemed to give up, following Trey Canard finishing in third place.

In the second race the GEICO Powersports Honda mounted Eli Tomac in his first pro race jetted his way into the lead and never looked back with what looked like an effortless win. He is the son of mountain biking legend John Tomac. According to his father he was not home schooled and took part in the life of a normal teen-ager with study halls, proms and hanging out with friends. John said that he did not want his son to get burned out and it appears his strategy paid off.

Tomac and Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel tied with 45 points each, but the Honda rider’s second-moto win put him into the overall (3-1 beats a 1-3). Trey Canard, Eli Tomac’s teammate, rounded out the podium in third place with a disappointing seventh place finish in the first race and a second in the second race, keeping Christophe Poucel at bay.

Here is a plug for our sister organizations, AMA District 36 and Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club (DDNMC) which sponsors the annual Hangtown National MX Race. This event has a 43 year history in the area. The skill and professionalism of these competitors sets a high bar for many of the young people coming up in the sport and the racers are also great role models for OHV. With this in mind we ask you to support the event that will take place on Saturday May 22, 2010. During these tough economic times our support is critical. The Dirt Diggers and D36 are supporting Carnegie and it seems only fair that we ALL support them and the many OHV vendors they have at the track. Please use their web address www.hangtownmx.com to make plans to go see the best in the world compete in Northern California.

As an example of the support from leadership groups for OHV recreation rights, AMA D36 donated $10,000 to the Blue Ribbon Coalition and the check was presented to the BRC at
Hangtown.

On Sunday March 28^th, Bob Cunningham’s life was taken in a tragic accident. He was taking his young daughter for a brief ride to show her the hills at the park. Unknown to them a quad had been left unattended and in neutral by its owner farther up the hill. The quad began rolling downhill and reached a high speed on the descent. It hit Bob and he was taken away instantly. His daughter was shaken but survived.

Bob attended meetings of CORE and wanted to do all he could to help our park. He also was a youth leader at his Church where he taught bible lessons to young people.

His friend Lefty Freuh sent us news of a Good Friday (April 2^nd) burial and service.

If anyone can attend here is the information below. Please attend, pass it on and make a donation to his wife Laura.

Burial:  11:00 am – Lodi Memorial Cemetery, 5750 Pine St, Lodi, CA

Memorial / Meal: 3:00 pm – Vinewood Community Church, 1900 W Vine St. Lodi 95242

A fund has been established at the Church listed below.

Donation: Vinewood Community Church – Bob Cunningham Trust Fund

Greetings to all enthusiasts who will attend the Supercross at AT&T Park (Giants Stadium). We will have a booth set up to reach spectators at the event and get them to sign the Carnegie petition. Come by and say hi to us from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm in the pits – probably near the drawbridge on 3rd Street. Look for the hillclimb bike in the front of the display.

While we are all fighting for our 1500 acres at Carnegie, our neighbors to the South at Clear Creek are fighting for 70,000 acres. Once again the reason for closing this historic riding, recreation and exploring area is the environmental card. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has closed the area because of asbestos on the property and riders, leadership organizations, 4-WD clubs and gem hunters are fighting back. I will attend the latest hearing (sorry for the last minute update) in Santa Clara. I will speak for the Carnegie regulars and let the folks there know of our support. I’ll wear a bright red USMC ball cap – it would be great if we can spot each other and sit together.

Santa Clara Convention Center – 5001 Great America Parkway – Santa Clara 95054

Times – 5:30 to 8:30 pm.

Also, check out the last two posts at Don’s blog.

- Dave

January 6, 2010, CORE (Carnegie Off-Road Enthusiasts) held a meeting of parties interested in taking a stance against the closure of Carnegie SVRA. The meeting was generously sponsored and hosted at Tri-Valley Moto BMW, Triumph and KTM dealership in Livermore, CA. Some of the items discussed were:

• legal options by presenting citizens petition to the judges presiding over the case
• performing independent environmental testing to determine if toxins found are consistent with motor vehicle discharge
• contacting our elected officials with outrage at this terrible decision
• expanding carnegieforever.org and utilizing social networks to build this grass-roots effort

Members of the group attending expressed outrage at this decision and offered accounts of how this decision will affect them personally in large and small ways. Specific activities and efforts are underway to prevent or reverse the appeals court decision expected on Monday January 11, 2010.

CORE Meeting #1

Thanks once again for the overwhelming support here on carnegieforever.org from people near and far. Please check in here often for any developments.

Don Amador’s post about the Rally can be found HERE.

Press coverage from the Carnegie Freedom Day Rally:
KCRA – 12/28/2009
CBS 13 Sacramento – 12/28/2009