DDR's own ACEISBACK shows up on the Dumont News Feed

[Richard Cheese]

http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2009/...63762010115.prt

Your view: Why make such an assumption?

Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 5:52 PM CDT

Victor Heiser

Twentynine Palms

Dear editor,

To assume, like D.S. Wenzel did, that the person who did the damage to the structure at Sky’s the Limit is “one of our own” is to grossly misunderstand the off-road community.

Everyone that I ride with, and the number is several hundred, would never associate with someone who used their off-road vehicle as an instrument of destruction. Matter of fact, we have dates set aside each year for area clean-ups at Dumont, Glamis, and Johnson Valley, as well as most of the BLM areas that we ride in. One of our mottos is to pack more out than we pack in. We are constant and vigilant in our efforts to clean up after those less responsible than ourselves in an effort to keep those like yourself from having prejudiced opinions of all of us.

What the person who committed this terrible act lacked was proper training and raising at home and I don’t see him or her developing a guilty enough conscience to step forward and pay for the damage done. But to assume that the funds and fees that we pay such as green and red sticker fess, area use fees, and OHV registration fees should be used as insurance to cover this or any other damage is absurd. The fees that we pay are for medical response, law enforcement, which we asked for and greatly appreciate, and improvement cost associated with OHV-authorized areas, not for vandalism which should be paid for by the criminal after our judicial system has done it’s job. So no, it’s not only fair.

Using your logic one would assume that all Marines are nasty pigs because most of the trash left at Roadrunner Dunes and Sunfair dry lake has MCX bags and price tags. I’m sure we all know that this is not the case.

Editor’s note: This letter was cut to bring it closer to our 300-word limit.

nice job Vic!!!

300 hundred word limit???? what? did you submit a freekin book or some sheeit???

[aceisback]

Alright you stalking MoFo, why don't you post the letter that inspired my letter!?! :ah: I waited several days to make my reply so as not to get thrown in jail for terroristic threats. What an assbag the guy was, saying it's only fair that WE pay for criminal activity from our contributions.

With your madass computer skills I'm sure you can find it in a timely manner so nobody is left scratching their heads and wondering what the hey I was ranting about. His was in last weeks edition. The editor did cut out about half of what I had to say...

Thanks for the props Jason.

Here's the gist of the portion of my letter that was edited:

All groups have their unfortunate 10% but to assume that the law abiding 90% of any community should absorb the cost and scrutiny of any damage done by it's unfortunate few is no way to approach the situation.

Hopefully this person is caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law but in the mean time we should all police our own and not pass judgments, or unnecessary cost on to others.

Teach you children well.

Victor Heiser

Alright, here's the letter that prompted my response, and it's about us as a community:

Your view: What a sad decision to make

Published: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 5:10 PM CDT

D.S. Wenzel

Twentynine Palms

Dear editor,

How sad it is that an off-road vehicle driver decided to destroy the new shade structure at Sky’s the Limit only hours after it was installed. One can easily imagine an unsupervised child on a high-powered vehicle trying to climb the structure — thank goodness he or she did not flip over and die crushed under the vehicle.

If the perpetrator is like 90 percent of off-road drivers who destroy and damage the private property of others he or she will never be held accountable for the damage that was done and the heartbreak that was caused.

The right thing for the off-road community to do would be to step up and follow the example of Hutchins Motor Sports who has begun to help restore and protect areas which have been badly damaged by illegal off-road vehicle use. If the off-road community were to pay for the damage one of their own did to Sky’s the Limit they would not have to bear so much shame for members of their community who seem bent on using off-road vehicles as instruments of destruction.

Short of that, the laws should be enforced so that the pot of money that funds off-road vehicle parks and recreation areas acts instead as an insurance fund to reimburse those who are unfairly absorbing the huge cost of off-road vehicle damage. It would only be fair.

Edited September 18, 2009 by aceisback

[dinicolady]

:foshizz: Seriously awesome reply there Vic!! I would SO love to read the article that inspired your response....get on it Cheese!!

[dunefreak]

good job for standing up for the community Vic

[Richard Cheese]

Vic??? this it??

Our view: Vandalism won't derail Sky's dream

Published: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 5:10 PM CDT

The Desert Trail

We’ve never understood some people’s need to trample the good works and kindnesses of others.

On Monday, Aug. 24, Sky’s the Limit volunteers working to build an observatory and nature center on 10 acres off Utah Trail near the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park gathered excitedly on site as Charles Duvall of Maine erected a bright red shade cloth on one of the facility’s first two buildings.

Duvall, whose company, Duvall Design, installs the unique shade structures all over the world, donated the shade cloth to the Basin Wide Foundation committee after learning of the project from committee Co-Chair Jerri Hagman while he was a guest at her Homestead Inn Bed and Breakfast.

He shipped the shade cloth to Sky’s a few months ago, promising to return to the city to install it while en route to a job.

“He came to Twentynine Palms on the way to Chicago,” Hagman’s Co-Chair Jerry Mattos said this week, recounting how Duvall flew from Maine to Las Vegas, then drove to Twentynine Palms to install the shade before heading to Chicago, all on his own dime.

Sky’s volunteers saw the shade cloth as something more than a simple, colorful addition to a building — it was a banner trumpeting the generosity of the many, many people from the Morongo Basin and points beyond who have donated their money, time and talent to a small group with big dreams.

It also was an invitation to other residents and visitors to join Sky’s volunteers in following that dream.

Instead it turned out to be an invitation to a senseless act of vandalism that left us all shaking our heads. The shade cloth wasn’t even up for a week when someone believed to be riding a quad tore it down and ran it over several times with their vehicle on Sunday, Aug. 30.

Mattos said that while they were disgusted and disheartened by the mean-spirited act by an off-road vehicle rider, Sky’s volunteers know it isn’t indicative of most off-roaders, nor is it the way most of us in this community conduct ourselves.

We could take this opportunity to chastise the person responsible for the vandalism, but we suspect it wouldn’t do any good because they likely don’t have any remorse.

Instead, we’ll take this opportunity to laud the good folks of Sky’s the Limit for working toward their dream even when someone does their best to tear it down. Undaunted by the vandalism, Sky’s volunteers dusted off the shade cloth, smoothed it out and put it back up immediately. “Why shouldn’t we” put it back up? Mattos said, noting that while it’s torn and not quite as perfect as it was when Duvall completed the installation, the shade cloth remains an invitation to those who want to help build our community.

We consider it a testament to the pioneer spirit that built Twentynine Palms and the Morongo Basin — an even prouder banner than before because it leaves no doubt that those of whose objective is to move our communities forward and make life better for residents and visitors alike aren’t about to let the idiotic act of one or two ignorant people derail a worthwhile dream.

[aceisback]

That's not it Jason but it is a continuation of a big problem that we have in this area. I edited my post with the gentlemans letter included at the bottom. I think with all three letters most folks will be able to form an edjucated opinion on the matter.

Thanks for digging in to it. I'm sure there will be much more to come. The anti-OHV Nazis in this area will stop at nothing to ban the whole community instead of pushing to have the perpatrators prosecuted. We do have our share of crack/meth heads that ride any and everywhere without regard for the black eye they give us and they vandalize and steal to support their habit.

[sandseeker]

Very nice Vic thank you for standing up for all of us that do respect and enjoy the outdoors

[Richard Cheese]

That's not it Jason but it is a continuation of a big problem that we have in this area. I edited my post with the gentlemans letter included at the bottom. I think with all three letters most folks will be able to form an edjucated opinion on the matter.

Thanks for digging in to it. I'm sure there will be much more to come. The anti-OHV Nazis in this area will stop at nothing to ban the whole community instead of pushing to have the perpatrators prosecuted. We do have our share of crack/meth heads that ride any and everywhere without regard for the black eye they give us and they vandalize and steal to support their habit.

like that fuggin that stole yer DS a couple years ago?? what a fuggin AZZHAT