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Disc Golf dangerous says Lafayette Neighbors
May 16th
The following is an email sent twice to Lafayette Channel 1 news. It is written by Meredith Flynn and Barbara Jo Kammer who are gearing up for a fight with the Lafayette city council who plan on putting a Disc Golf course in the park across from their home. This is not simply a case of the neighbors being Nimbies, but a real concern for the safety . Further research by LC1 shows a history of serious injury in disc golf and its occurrence around the USA. Injuries include missing digits and severe brain trauma. The discs are hard and move at up to 80 miles per hour. They are not freebies. Who would have guessed?
Susan Koster, the City Clerk, got back to me on our questions. If we have handouts, we give them to her before the meeting and she will put them at the Councilors’ places on the dais.
Susan Koster, the City Clerk, got back to me on our questions. If we have handouts, we give them to her before the meeting and she will put them at the Councilors’ places on the dais.Each speaker is allowed 5 minutes. Council will listen to everyone. If there are so many people that Council is unable to conduct their scheduled business, they may opt to convene another meeting in order to give everyone an opportunity to speak. Susan said this is totally up to Council and she cannot predict what they might do.
I put together a summary of ten main points why disc golf does not belong at Waneka Lake. Let me know if you have any additions or changes you think should be made.
Meredith
Top Ten Reasons Why a Disc Golf Course Does Not Belong at Waneka Lake Park
1. It’s not what the majority of Lafayette citizens want.
According to the Lafayette Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails Master Plan Survey 2012, pages 27-31, Disc Golf ranked very low in the list of outdoor facilities that people want added, improved, or expanded. What ranked high on the list was “Additional park areas incorporating both native and manicured park type”. If you take a native park area and turn it into a disc golf course, you are taking away something people have told the city they want more of and giving the people something they have told the city they have little interest in.
http://www.cityoflafayette.
2. It’s unlawful.
Lafayette Code of Ordinances, Chapter 80, Article 4
Sec. 80-59. Firearms and other missiles prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use, carry, or possess air rifles, spring guns, bow and arrows, slings, or any other forms of weapons; it shall further be unlawful to possess or use fireworks of any kind or nature; it shall further be unlawful to play golf or hit any golf balls.
(Ord. No. 1985-15, § 2, 6-4-85; Ord. No. 2005-8, § 1, 3-1-05)
Golf balls are included in the section on “prohibited missiles”. According to the city’s own code, it is unlawfull to hit golf balls at Waneka Lake Park. A golf disc is a “missile” that can cause every bit as much—if not more—damage to person and property than a golf ball and therefore should be prohibited from the park according to Lafayette’s Code of Ordinances.
3. It will result in environmental degradation.
Even the Professional Disc Golf Players Association acknowledges that a major concern with disc golf is soil erosion. The article “Assessing the Ecological Impact Due to Disc Golf” in the International Journal of Sport Management, Recreation & Tourism examines the ecological footprint of disc golf. In the study, three ecological markers were used as indicators of ecological degradation: soil erosion, soil compaction and density of vegetation cover. Results from the study conclude that disc golf significantly increases soil compaction, which yields greater soil erosion and a decrease in vegetation cover. Soil compaction due to human trampling is a problem with severe consequences. (See “Ecological Impact Due to Disc Golf” article attached to this email).
4. It’s potentially dangerous.
Discs used in disc golf are not the same as the Frisbees people use to play catch. They weigh 3 ½ times more than a golf ball. Even junior players can throw discs at 40MPH. More accomplished players can throw discs at speeds up to 75 and 80MPH. People hit by flying discs can be severely injured. Given where the current holes are placed, discs are going to be flying across heavily used trails. Even if disc golfers yell “fore” warnings, many people walk with headphones and won’t hear.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/
http://www.ocregister.com/
http://www.ocregister.com/
5. It is not compatible with the existing use of the park.
To help him design better disc golf courses at Boy Scout camps, Steve West created a statistical model of Boy Scout disc golf skills. He collected data on how far and how accurately Boy Scouts throw a disc. From this data, a model was developed for simulating large numbers of throws. His model can be used to replace guesses about where the discs will land with numbers based on data. The average Boy Scout routinely throws discs as much as 120 feet or more to the right or left of the fairway. If West’s scatter plots are superimposed on top of the proposed holes at the Waneka Lake Park, you will see that discs are going to cross well used trails, hit the Waneka Granary (which is on the Lafayette Register of Historic Places), land in streets and back yards.
http://www.savemclarenpark.
6. Disc golfing requires a large amount of space devoted to a single use.
Regardless of the intent of the disc golf course creators, the nature of disc golf has the effect of discouraging non-golfers from using the area. What typically happens is that once a course is installed, players came to consider it as their own and show little patience for other casual users of the area. Since it makes sense that no one takes a casual walk through a regular golf course, they will most likely not, for their own safety, take a walk on a well-used disc golf course either.
7. Other cities are closing down disc golf courses due to safety and environmental degradation.
http://www.leddypark.org/wp-
http://www.statesman.com/news/
http://dnr.wi.gov/news/
http://www.muni.org/
http://billingsgazette.com/
http://www.peninsuladailynews.
http://www.mailtribune.com/
8. Sufficient time was not allowed for input from stakeholders.
A letter was sent out April 24 to people whose homes are adjacent to the course. The letter said the Recreation and Parks Departments were “in the process” of developing a disc golf course and that comments and questions would be accepted through May 9, giving the impression that the city was accepting input as to whether or not this disc golf course was a good idea. Yet at the very same time the letter went out, an announcement that a disc golf course “is coming” to Waneka Lake this summer was posted at the lake indicating that the installation of the course was a done deal and any comments or questions Parks and Rec receives in reality do not matter. No one other than the people living adjacent to the course was notified. Even though the Waneka Granary will undoubtedly be hit by flying discs, the Historical Society was not notified. The birding groups that frequent the park were not notified. Many people other than those living right by the park have a stake in how that land is used, yet no one was notified. This leaves the impression that this whole project is being rail-roaded through by the Recreation and Parks Departments.
9. The current disc golf course is underutilized and in disrepair.
The disc golf course at the Bob Burger Recreation Center fell into disuse and disrepair. If that course fell into disrepair, what is to prevent a course at Waneka Lake from falling into disrepair?
10. Because of growing safety concerns, disc golf course designers recommend disc golf courses be exclusive use only.
The following is a quote from Gregg Hosfeld who is:
3-time Professional Disc Golf Association World Champion
4-time United States Grand Master Disc Golf Champion
Disc Golf Hall of Fame inductee-Class of 1998
World Record Holder: “Most Courses Played” – 1,151
Disc Golf Design Group-Senior Designer
Co-founder World Champion Disc Golf Design
“I truly LOVE seeing the growing popularity of disc golf. I’ve been competing in tournaments since 1976 and giving lessons since the early 80s. I think it is a wonderful game for the entire family.
In the late 1970′s when disc golf was introduced, ALL flying discs were fairly lightweight and rounded edged. In other words, great for lofty flights and a game of throw & catch. As the game became more competitive and more geared toward sport, weight was added and then more streamlined aerodynamics were introduced. Over the years, these aerodynamics have been refined into some fast midrange discs and VERY fast “drivers”. Along with the “improvements” in disc technology, so must awareness of what that brings to the game. These high-tech discs, in the hands of a pro, can produce seemingly magically controlled flights. But in the hands of an inexperienced player, they can veer radically off the intended course. Very similar to a ’1-wood’ in standard golf in that regard. Simply put, “Faster” is harder to control. Same with cars, airplanes and anything hand propelled. I NEVER recommend these high-speed discs to newer players. Nor can I stop them.
With that in mind, we should consider that golf courses are designed to be exclusive-use areas; golf ONLY. Why? Those little balls are hard and they can hurt. Disc golf has been increasingly moving in the direction of exclusive-use areas, for the same reasons of safety. Any responsible disc golf course designer understands that. Unfortunately, many people in the parks & rec industry are only vaguely familiar with the game and have no reason to think that discs are any different now than in the 1970s.”
Arenado At Top With Cuddyer
May 9th
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado wasted no time Wednesday night putting himself alongside teammate Michael Cuddyer at the top of the Rockies’ hit-streak chart.
Arenado pulled Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis’ 3-1 pitch in the first inning into the left-field corner for a two-run double, which extended his hit streak to 27 games — tied with Cuddyer’s streak last season for longest in club history.
The hit came after a two-out single by Troy Tulowitzki and a double from Carlos Gonzalez, and accounted for the first runs of a 9-2 Rockies victory.
Arenado, 23, is hitting .364 (39-for-107) with 11 doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs during his streak.
The last time someone 23 or younger had a streak this long was 2003, when 23-year-old Albert Pujols had a 30-game streak for the Cardinals.
The streak began on April 9, a week before Arenado’s 23rd birthday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the longest streak for anyone 22 or under when it began since Benito Santiago’s 34-game streak in 1987. Santiago was 22 throughout the run, which stands as a Major League rookie record.
Arenado is in his second year. After debuting April 28 last year, Arenado batted .267 in 133 games and became the first National League rookie third baseman to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Source: MLB
Restrictions Established in James Canyon
May 9th
Traveling and Cycling Restrictions in James Canyon
Mayor Schoedinger asks for patience and cooperation to assist with recovery
Due to continued recovery and repair operations associated with the September 2013 flood event, Boulder County is re-establishing restrictions on non-local traffic, including bicycles, in James Canyon from the junction with Left Hand Canyon, through Jamestown, to the junction with State Highway 72 (Peak to Peak). The restrictions will go into effect immediately. Lefthand Canyon will remain open to all roadway users.
While the county’s high-hazard area remediation work has moved out of the area and into Fourmile Mile Canyon, private recovery efforts remain extensive. There continues to be a high-volume of large trucks and heavy machinery moving in and around Jamestown, which is creating a hazardous environment for motorists and cyclists alike.
After the flood event, many sections of Lefthand Canyon and James Canyon Drive were completely destroyed and Boulder County worked quickly to replace the previous asphalt roadway by installing temporary dirt “winter roads.” In areas where “winter roads” were created, the unpaved roadway narrows significantly and safe, uphill shoulders for cyclists are no longer available. This forces cyclists into the main flow of traffic for extended lengths, creating hazardous riding and driving conditions for travelers in both directions.
County Transportation Director George Gerstle asks for everyone’s patience and understanding by avoiding travel in James Canyon, as well in the Fourmile Canyon and the Raymond/Riverside area unless you are a resident or have business in the area. “If you don’t live in these areas and aren’t helping rebuild these hard-hit communities, you’re probably obstructing recovery operations. We want to remind folks who want to travel the mountain canyons that Lefthand and Sunshine canyons are better options and are open all the way to the Peak to Peak Highway. These canyons are also are narrow and have been reconstructed out of dirt in many areas, so we are asking everyone to be patient and drive slowly, and remember we’re working to make the roads more safe for everyone.”
As was available before to area residents who routinely commute by bicycle, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is offering special permits that will allow those people to continue cycling. Please call 303-441-3650 to obtain a permit. Failure to comply with the cycling restriction may result in a court summons.
For more information, contact Andrew Barth, Transportation Department communications specialist, at 303-441-1032.
Source: Boulder County
