Thanks for posting this...In a few weeks I have a college presentation about the affects of riding to the environment...This is the perfect article to express how narrow-minded some people truly are. I appreciate finding this. Thank you.

 

your reffering to the narrowmindedness of the opposition to ORV Activities?

 

Of course, those who opposing ATVs and other vehicles.

 

DB, out here the journalist don't bother verifiing what they report[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] They only believe in their side. The other side, can submit a letter, less then 100 words to the paper. This can be put in the "Letter to the Editor" section of the paper. Of course, the paper can edit the article[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] if, they feel the need to[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
Your last sentence says it all[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

Don't get my boss started on the press. LOL. We were yacking this AM and he was taling about how you never hear about someone using a gun to protect themselves, or someone else. I wonder what, if any are the real stats on that subject?

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It isn't just atvs that cause a problem in NH. we have people move in for peace and quiet like the article says, in the off season ,and the real estate people don't tell them we have a stockcar track and a quartermile drag strip nearby. These tracks have been here for over twenty years and the dragstrip had a petition to save it. If it wasn't saved then town could have put in condos, etc. and got more tax money. A housing development was built in woods beyond far end of strip. To me if houses are built near a preexisting trail they should expect noise, etc. We used to have horses[hay burners] and the noise didn't bother them.

 

I just noticed something when I re-read that article. The byline says, "By Phillip Klasky / For the Star." They wouldn't have that qualifier, "For the Star," after the author's name if it was written by one of their staff. This was just someone in the community expressing an opinion, and it probably appeared on the editorial page. It looks like we were all jumping to a lot of conclusions here. Anyone else in the community could write an article "For the Star" in opposition to this opinion.

There are right ways and wrong ways to counter such opinions. Any article written to counter this opinion piece should first acknowledge any truth in it, then cite any mitigating circumstances: "Yes, ATV's can be noisy, but many of the ones being built today are considerably quieter." Don't get argumentative, just cite facts. This makes the writer of the original piece look radical.

Print up flyers urging visitors to ride responsibly and stay on the trails. The flyers could even contain a reprint of this article. Talk to the newspaper editor and get permission to reprint. Stroke him or her by saying it could help solve the problem. You want the editor to print something about the flyers being passed out by responsible ATV'ers. Set up a photo op of kids passing them out at gas stations, and mention that visiting ATV'ers buy gas and a lot of other things in the community. Maybe the kids passing out the photos even have a dog with them. Kids and dogs make for photos everyone likes to see.

There are a lot of other things you can do, but I'm not going to write a textbook on ATV public relations here. You get the idea.

 

Deeplaker60...very nice input. You definitely have the right ideas.

Mr. Klasky is in no way affiliated with the local paper but I can see how that would be misleading. He has written articles on this topic in other local publishing’s as well and is trying to rally support for an all out ban on ALL off-highway use in our local deserts. The article I posted here is somewhat mild compared to some of his other publishing’s but it was in an on-line format so I was able to share this one easily. We have come to know Mr. Klasky (by "we" I mean local OHV enthusiasts) as a hard-core left wing environmentalist with a fist in the air, a smooth pen, and ability to assemble others like him. He is from San Francisco, what we call THE BIG CITY, and has acquired property here in our desert community recently. I do not believe he is a full-time resident and obviously does not care about those who are if they do not share his ideologies. He is an individual with an agenda and will stop at nothing until he is satisfied. I have met people just like him in the past and know that his attacks must be countered "intelligently" and "firmly" and with the support from others who wish to continue to enjoy the sport responsibly. He does not care about responsible riders or quite exhausts, he came to the desert wanting it to be exactly what he wants and wanting it only for himself and other just like him. Well, he isn't going to get it without a fight. Again, I live here and have come to know him more than just from this article. He is a threat and his threats will be countered...at least they will by me.

I have a bumper sticker idea: "JUST SAY 'NO' TO PHIL KLASKY"

Another note: Phil Klasky has admitted to chasing off ATV riders from local washes on public land. These washes were re-opened to all OHV use by the BLM after a habitat study of the desert tortoise was terminated due to a lack of evidence that OHV use is detrimental to their existence. What right does he have to do this?