Save ULLB letter to the Commissioner! Please contribute!

[Kenny]

Dear Mr. Ellertson,

My name is Kenny Farnsworth. I am 44 years old and I am the President and Co-Owner of a local company called Rhodes Bake-N-Serv. I am a resident of Salt Lake County. I have been an avid kiteboarder for the past 11 years. Lincoln Beach is a popular spot because it is safe, clean, and open to the public. Unfortunately, there are few places along the shores of Utah Lake that are open to the public. I am also a member of the local Utah Windriders Club. The purpose of this club is to promote safety and courtesy to the local community while at the same time promoting the virtues of windsurfing and kiteboarding. It is unfortunate that a limitation of access is being considered at the Lincoln Beach location because one of our key values is to be model citizens. As a club we have spent countless hours cleaning up pallets, rusty nails, and garbage along the shoreline of Utah Lake and we are committed to do so in the long-term. It is our hope that we can work with you to retain access to the Lincoln Beach Location. Thank you for your careful consideration of this issue. If you desire further input from me, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[jonpeachey]

I'll add my letter from last Friday to the mix:

Commissioner Ellertson,

I would like to thank you for serving Utah County and administrating its needs. I have been a resident of Utah County for nearly 20 years and have absolutely loved the recreational opportunities that abound in this wonderful place. The state, county, and local governments take great pride in providing safe, accessible parks to the public that are much appreciated and respected.

This is the reason why I am writing to you. It has come to my attention that recreational restrictions are being considered at the Lincoln Beach county park at Utah Lake. I, for one, am one of the many residents that would be affected by such restrictions and am hoping that you would consider just how important a site Lincoln Beach is for our sport of kite boarding.

Nowhere else in the county, or even the state for that matter, exists a better location for participating in our sport. What makes it so ideal is the safe accessibility accompanied by shallow, smooth water, thus allowing beginners and experts alike to enjoy the same location and interact as a community. The wind is constant there and the nice grass with ample parking allows us to set up safely, away from dangerous obstacles that might cause harm to us or innocent bystanders. Taking away access to Lincoln Beach would force us to use other locations that are potentially dangerous, especially to those who are new to the sport.

The kiting community is Utah is one of the closest, most accepting groups I have ever come across in the recreational community. Not only that, everyone is extremely respectful of the environment in which we recreate. As a community, we continually clean up and improve the areas we use and we strive to provide safe, consistent access to those who want to join or just observe our amazing sport.

Please help us protect the safest, most accessible site for kite boarding in Utah. I personally will continue to respect the property and facilities at Lincoln Beach and encourage everyone I interact with to do the same. It would be a devastating blow to our community if we were to lose such an incredible spot.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Jon Peachey
Utah County Resident

[DaveHubbel]

+1 letter sent, thanks to everyone working on the ground on this, I hope to get out more and enjoy Lincoln in the future with more of you
Dave

Dear Commissioner Ellertson,

I am a 41 year old natural resources attorney, father of three young children. I am writing to voice my appreciation at the efforts at improving access and facilities around Utah Lake, and in particular Lincoln Beach. My wife and I occasionally get the opportunity to get the family down to Lincoln Beach for some kite boarding and just enjoying the water and park with our kids. We usually take turns with one of us kiting and the other playing with our kids at the shoreline. It is a very unique spot and I would really be disappointed to lose access there.

I am very impressed with all of the members of the kite boarding and windsurfing community here in Utah. I have found them to be a very courteous, helpful and respectful group of people. Because our kites our inflated we are the people who pick up every nail, bit of broken glass, or piece of sharp metal that we see on the beach, in the shallow water, or on the grass. I have no doubt that any concerns the commission may have can be very effectively and responsibly addressed by this community. It has come to my attention through the windsport community’s forum that restrictions are being considered at the Lincoln Beach County Park at Utah Lake. My wife and I, and my three children are some of the many residents that would be adversely affected by such restrictions and am hoping that you would consider just how important a site Lincoln Beach is for our sport of kite boarding.

Please help us protect the safest, most accessible site for kite boarding in Utah. I personally will help in any way that I can and we will continue to respect the property and facilities at Lincoln Beach. I know that everyone else in the windsports community feels the same way. It would be a devastating blow if we were to lose such an incredible spot.

I appreciate your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Dave Hubbell

[Brian Kelm]

Subject: Windsurfing & Kitesurfing access to Utah Lake: Lincoln Beach
From: Brian Kelm <brian@briankelm.com>
Date: September 28, 2011 10:36:07 AM MDT
To: larrye.ucadm@state.ut.us

Dear Mr. Ellertson: Brian Kelm here, 50 year old, 24 year disability attorney in SLC. I served on the Governor's Work Comp Advisory Council (still do) under Commissioner Lee Ellertson (your cousin???). I have been kitesurfing and windsurfing since the early eighties. I am extremely concerned about any loss of use at Lincoln Beach. I will not re-hash what I understand to be run-ins with an apparently out of control new Camp Host (particularly since I wasn't there!) but I can say that the community of wind riders is very small and very credible. Most are in their 30s to 60s, well respected business owners, and pillars in their community. This sport is not particularly cheap. This is not a bunch of teenage hooligans - in fact, we routinely clean up after them when they litter and burn mattresses, break glass, etc. We are very conscientious and live by the creed of leaving a place better than you found it. We are an extremely low impact, silent sport which most everyone we've come across has taken an interest in and finds fascinating to watch. The other beauty is that when others are using the lake we are not (calm, no wind). When the wind picks up and gets choppy, people come in and don't want to boat or fish and that's when WE go out -- so we are a perfect complement! I trust you're getting lots of responses so I don't want to beat a dead horse but I remain available if any questions or concerns remain. I do want to re-emphasize, however, my grave concern about any bans, restrictions or otherwise being imposed on a public park we all should be able to use - one of the best in the country, in fact, for the beautiful sports of windsurfing and kitesurfing. Thank you, Brian Kelm

[Jacob Buzianis]

Hey Crew, Emailed me my voice.

Hi Mr. Ellerton,

My name is Jacob Buzianis. I'm a professional Kiteboarder/snowkiter. My family and I have been in the wind sport since the beginning of 80'. I work for Best kiteboarding and we manufacture kite. I make a living as professional Kiteboarder, snowkiter, Kite Tech Rep., kite/board R&D, Sale Rep. Event organizer and instructor. Utah has been a great place to do my work and to support my family. I feel bless to be able to live in Utah and continue my work here.

I am a member of the local Utah Wind riders association and sponsor the association. The association was form to help members, non-member and new members to find information about the wind forecast, the sport, find places in Utah to do wind sport, wind log, parks/lakes rules and water/snow safety. It has been great group of wind rider for a long time and very well respect people in the wind sport community I have ever met. The members and myself have spent countless hours cleaning up pallets, rusty nails, enforcing and garbage along the shoreline of Utah Lake and other part of the lakes in Utah since 1980's.

For the past 4 yrs Lincoln beach has been a great and friendly spot for my family and me. I have been camping there with my family many times. It has been fun for my family to hang out there because of the facility it has to offer. The beach has been great for all of us. I notice more and more people using it do their wind sport every year. I have coming to the beach at least 30 days a year for the past 4 yrs. I need Lincoln Beach. So, I can do my professional work and to spent time with my family. For years, I came to Utah County and spend a lot of tax money on recreation, which includes buying gas, grocery, beverage, dining out, camping, clothes and entertainment. It has been one of the nicest places to go recreate. I want to Thanks You and county for building Lincoln Beach.

After hearing a possible banning people to do their wind sport at Lincoln Beach. It will be devastating loss to do wind sport at the beach. Keep in mind; Wind Sports has extremely low impact on the facility at the beach and the environment. I believe the main issue is the Park host who is Kelly Joe Nostrom's and his behavior with the people at the beach. I was there to witness some of Kelly outburst about kiting there and rigging on the lawn. His behavior address to the Kiteboarder were swearing, threats and course actions, of course his drinking and dealing with us under the influence of alcoholic.

Again, thank you for building Lincoln Beach. It will be huge loss for the community and me if we loss access there. Thank you for taking the time and effort to read this and address the issue.

Have a Great day!

Best Regard,
Jacob Buzianis


Thanks Billy and Pepe address this issue. I hope Larry won't take it far which I doubt he would decide on banning kiteboarding there. Good luck at the Meeting.

[dave holmgren]

Just sent this a few minutes ago...


Dear Commissioner Ellertson,

I'm Dave Holmgren, one of the many kiteboarders who enjoy using the Lincoln
Beach Facility on Utah Lake. I'm very concerned about the recent happenings there, and about the implications should an adverse decision be made there.

A little about myself, so you have some idea of where my perspective comes from:

I'm 53 years old, an airline pilot for Delta Air Lines, based in Salt Lake City. Retired from the Utah Air National Guard just two years ago, following 28 years of full and part time service in the U.S. Marine Corps and Air National Guard (including 125 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan). Also have about 10 years as a Federal Officer/Pilot in Counternarcotics with the United States Customs Service (now Customs and Border Protection). I think I'm a relatively responsible and levelheaded individual.

My 22 year old son and I often kite together at Utah Lake. I've been kiteboarding since 2000, actually took my first lesson at Rush Lake. Lincoln Beach is probably the best spot in the state for learning to kiteboard, the uncongested, shallow and protected water there make it nearly ideal for new kiters.

We (kiteboarders) are a diverse group, I'm by no means the oldest and my son is far from the youngest kiter in the area. Things we pretty much all share are a love for the water, wind sports, and the environment. I'm not sure you could find a much greener sport than kiteboarding. Other than the occasional whooping, we don't even leave sound pollution behind. We tend to be friendly, open to new folks, and ready to share our joy with others.

We are the people you want in your (our) parks. An example of what I mean: About a month ago, getting ready to leave for the evening after a great sunset kiting session at Lincoln Beach, several of us noticed a small fire burning in the grass just towards the water from the pavilion. A family (non kiters, I remember seeing them cook dinner at the pavilion a little while earlier) had dumped their hot charcoal grill in the grass when they left. My son and I grabbed a gallon of water I keep in my truck, went over there with a couple other kiters, and we put the fire out. No big deal, just something that needed to be done, and we had the tools to do the job. We pick up after ourselves- leave only footprints, right?

Why the issue with an abusive camp host has escalated to such a level where banning or regulating kiting at Lincoln Beach is even being discussed, I have no idea. I WAS there when your host Kelly became verbally abusive to a group of kiters (I witnessed but was not a part of the 'discussion'). He appeared- in my considered opinion, intoxicated, and I DID see a beer can in his hand following the confrontation. It was a strange event. It seems that he has made it his mission to eradicate kiteboarding from the park. Things have gotten way out of hand.

I hope that you will take the opportunity to come watch our little group of riders on any (North blowing) windy day. I'm more than confident that you will come away with a better appreciation for the beauty we find in our sport.

Please call me any time if you have any questions, or if you want to discuss this further.

Very respectfully,

//SIGNED//
-David P. Holmgren (Lt Col, UtANG retired)
14061 Old Saddle Rd
Draper, Utah, 84020-7564