Howe Avenue Theft 12/30/08

[flounder]

I'm new to fly fishing, but kind of experienced in policy/government so here is my somewhat unqualified/qualified two cents for all its worth. Talking to the Chamber is very a good idea as most Chambers have political juice. That stated, it would probably be helpful to tell them what you want specifically rather than just register a complaint. Also if it is based around increased resources like increased foot patrol, it would be helpful to tell them how to increase the funding.

So that stated here is an idea. How bout if the park fees that are collected for a designated park be used to support that particular park and the surrounding area. I'm pretty sure that the park fees that are currently collected are redistributed throughout the entire park system (in the State system). Inasmuch, fees that are currently collected in Sacramento may be used to fund parks in San Diego. The regionalization of fees would essentially make dollars collected in Sacramento be used in Sacramento.

There are some ups and downs to the proposal, but its a more concrete starting point. . . or we can just set up a trap and bash people with baseball bats. That works too!

[STEELIES/26c3]

The problem with that is...

aside from Nimbus Basin and above (managed and policed by CA State Parks Dept.) the American River Parkway is under the sole jurisdiction of Sacramento County Parks and Rec.

The parkway is relatively huge with many access points.

Fees collected from day use and annual passes are distributed throughout the entire parkway and not allocated to one access (ie; Howe AVE, Watt AVE or Sarah CT). Furthermore, the fee money is divided between salaries for staff, operations, and maintenance not just law enforcement.

I will take the higher road and communicate with individuals and agencies who need to hear the voice of concern and I would encourage everyone else who uses the parkway to follow suit.

I have spoken with neighbors in the area where I was vandalized. I think a neighborhood watch program (with enthused neighbors and signs) would be helpful.

I still wish to take the lower road also and find/beat to a pulp these F$#@%^$ but the problem with that is it seriously cuts in to my fishing time...

Speak and be heard. Hit and be felt.
M

[wjorg]

Lets set up a day where we can all call the same several people(park/rec&chamber of commerce).

If one person calls every 5 days for 10 years they say "forget about it"

if 50 people call once a week for 5 weeks that will make more of an impact.....


Call the local mayors office, ive had incredible success with that in Frisco.

Call the Terminator, maybe hell come beat people up! "Its not a tumor!"

[David Lee]

Great subject .

Having spent 100+ days a year out there for about 6 years straight , you get to see some funny stuff . Never been broken in to , though .

Had a guy call my Wife some nasty stuff one day (for NO reason ...) - I offered to take his teeth out and he quickly backed-down and pointed out there was a cop in the parking lot - I engaged the cop , the cop said to get lost (not quite those works ...) -

Had a dude masturbate in front of my Wife from across the river (I would have KILLED that m*^&%$^%#ker if I would have seen him ....) -

Had a gang shout racial slurs and posture to P.M. and myself @ the Paradise parking lot one day , we almost had to fight our way out (15 or 20 to 2 , great odds ?) -

Found needles used to shoot dope on my beach -

Seen lots of kids breaking bottles while park and rec were out writing tickets for Dogs off leashes -

Had a guy across the river (150 feet away)threaten to kill me for fishing in HIS water -

Watched a kid light a porta-potty on fire -

Had a close friend tell me of being attacked by 4 twenty-something dudes , they tried to tackle him into 50-degree water for the fun of it -

The above are just a few of the things I've seen .....

Honestly , I think it's going to take a teen girl being raped/murdered out there to get the law and the city to pull their heads out . When I was fishing out there a lot , I knew of at least 8 older guys who were packing handguns and were ready to use them (including several ex-cops) .

I remember , in my 20's ..... we used to raft/drink/party a lot on the A. - we NEVER harrassed folks , littered , or flipped anyone any shit - I don't recall seeing much of that stuff back then .

I also believe that one has the RIGHT to go outdoors and be unmolested . If a 'bad guy' gets zapped ..... I doubt I'd lose any sleep over it .

I personally would NOT think twice about dealing with vermin harshly - my life is worth more than theirs .

Simple as that .

David

David

[wjorg]

I dont want to shoot anyone(ever) and my 6" Colt .44 takes too long to pull out of my waders.

Problem with using a tazer in the river is you might get shocked too!

Great stories David! I like the one about the guy being tackled just for the fun of it.

By the way....there have been girls sexually assaulted at the park to get to the log hole. There is a freaking kids soccer park there. All they do is post posters.

What are these "sting" operations they have been doing? Ive got a good eye for crime and cops and I havent seen squat.

[David Lee]

Great stories David! I like the one about the guy being tackled just for the fun of it.

Yeah .... my old 'Shad-buddy' Ken - great guy , very quiet and a nice fellow .

He was fishing the sandspit @ Paradise one day in early March .

There were 4 nipple-ring dudes drinking/chattering on the bluff ...... three kept saying to #4 -" Dude , just DO IT" !

#4 ambles out into the water (no waders , right ?) - Ken stops fishing , and watches the guy walk up .... Dude goes to tackle/slam Ken into the drink (remember , this is MARCH - water is around 50 degrees , lots of snags in the slot that WILL drown you if you bite it) .

Ken windmills the dude as dude goes to grab him - dude falls in the water next to Ken . The dude actually goes to make another pass at Ken ?!!?? This time , Ken grabs the dude and slams him down good .

Ken then runs to the bank , looks around , and picks up an empty 40 Oz. bottle - He tells the kid he's gonna crack his head if he tries again (Ken is more than a little frightened at this point , wouldn't you be ?)-

All 4 guys start LAUGHING - they say they are just 'playing' . Ken left the area pretty quickly .

The point I'm trying to make in relating this story ?

If someone , ANYONE , is too stupid to think things through and take chances w/ YOUR life ..... screw 'em , period . I hate violence but you have the RIGHT to protect yourself !

As part of my usual kit , I carry a BIG Buck sheath knife . I wear it on my pack-strap where it is visible to anyone to see . It isn't there to intimidate anyone , or for show .... it is a tool , not a sign of wanting to be a 'bad-ass' .

Does it help discourage vermin from messin' w/ me ?? Perhaps .

Would I WANT to use it on another human ?? HELL , NO !!

Would I hesitate to use it to protect myself/my Wife/my fishing partner IF THE SITUATION CALLED FOR IT ??

No . I wouldn't think twice .

Having your ride broken-into is a bad thing . Hopefully .... insurance will cover most of the missing stuff . Your LIFE is precious , and cannot be replaced . A very personal call to make , isn't it ??

David

[mr. 3 wt.]

Every situation is gonna be different. One must evaluate quickly in his mind , is it worth it. Look around and take notice of your surroundings. A nice sized (baseball bat sized) stick strategically placed near where your fishing could be good. Big gorilla sized friends are good. A cool rational thinking mind is real good. I for one, am not gonna spend the rest of my life behind bars cause of some scumbag. So, you need to watch CSI diligently so you can get the info needed so you don't get caught when you dispose of this scumbag and the case is closed as a fishing accident!

[Ed Wahl]

I've been reading this thread from day one. This thread has been around in different guises for years, but the problem just doesn't go away.
I've got an idea.
It does NOT involve violence.
It does involve digi cams and cel phones.
It will take some planning.
It will take some commitments.
It will not be talked about on this board. ( liability issues for Bill, we go to emails and phone calls)

I'm willing to commit some time, and if the 2 posters I trust on this thread(I think you know who you are) will also commit then we can do something.

You board members who are interested in being proactive send me an email with your real name. I'll get back to you when I've got an idea of the amount of interest in this.

I think there will be one or two coffee shop meetings while we flesh this out.

No BS, this is for real.

My email is on my profile.

Ed

[Terry Thomas]

This has been a long and informative thread. There are many individuals that read the posts on this board. I had two calls at the shop today wanting to know if it is safe to go and fish the American River. I fished yesterday at Rossmore and Sunrise. When I drove into the Rossmore area I saw a park ranger leaving. I fished for @two hours and when I left I saw a different park ranger come by. I can tell you that I have never seen so much patrol as I have seen recently. I am not going to change my fishing habits. Then again, I try to never leave anything in my rig. No, I didn't have any grabs, however, I did talk to a "regular" who fishes gear and he said he had a good one on earlier in the day.

[wjorg]

It isnt safe to fish on the American River.

Ive had a tweaker who I could have broken in half if he didnt shank me with his knife first, throw a log that weighed as much as he did in the run, and then gesticulate and posture at me to come over and do something about it.

A few lucky long casts at his face made him think twice about it but I would sure hate to have him accost me when I'm immobilized changing my waders or something...

I feel more comfortable with the locals on some Nor Cal rivers who will burn your rig if you are not respectful to them. At least I know a smile, wave, or a beer or a cigarette will go a long way. The freaks we have on the A dont eat, sleep and are only motivated by serotonin and dopamine rushes they get from meth, or getting money to get more meth. Trust me, Im addicted to Steelhead and its just about the same way......