OPEN LETTER

[Rome Dodson]

OPEN LETTER TO SHGA MEMBERS AND BOARD, JOE GREBLO HAS PURCHASED THE TRACTOR WITH HIS OWN MONEY. HE HAS IMPROVED THE L.Z. IMMEASUREABLY, BRINGING IN TONS OF TOPSOIL(65 DUMPLOADS SO FAR), OF COURSE THIS PALES TO THE AMOUNT OF TOPSOIL I HAD BROUGHT IN,(IT INCDEASED THE L.Z. 33%), OF COURSE I HAD TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE THE INSPCTORS RED TAGED THE LZ AND NEARLY HAD US THOWN OUT. BUT IT'S EASIER TO APOLOGIZE THAN ASK PERMISSION WHEN I DO STUPID STUFF. WE GOT BUSTED WHEN THERE WAS 13 GIANT TROUGHLIKE DUMPTRUCKS DUMPING, OVER THE EDGE, AT THE SAME TIME(IT KIND OF GOT OUT OF HAND).JOE'S BUILDING UP THE TRAINING HILL (AT THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE L.Z.)POSSIBLY CLOSING DOCKWEILER, AND DOING ALL THE TRAINING HERE. CRESTLINE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE USHGA FOUNDATION FOR FREE FLIGHT FOR $12,000 TO BUY THIER TRACTOR FOR SITE IMPROVMENT. WITH THE COST OF WATER AND THE TRACTOR AND A NEW WINDSOCK ,MAYBE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE NEW GAZIBLO. MAYBE I CAN JUST PUT HIM IN MY WILL TO PAY HIM BACK FOR ALL THE CRAP I GIVE HIM AND MAKE ALL THIS WORTH HIS WHIEL DO YOU THINK THE BOARD SHOULD REUMBERSE JOE OR ME? ROME

[DigitalBishop]

Rome's post concerned me when he mentioned Dockweiler closing. I emailed Joe and asked if it was. He said it wasn't.

[jcflies]

As I'm one of the dumbasses who really needed a good overshoot, i'm very grateful to joe for all of his hard work. if it becomes suitable, and safe, for students in-between dockweiler and soloing to practice on the overshoot, or anyone else who wants to practice landing perfectly, in non-beach-laminar air, why NOT?

a few people seem to be hard at work--planting trees, watering grass, redesigning the entire l/z with free dirt, delivered slowly and carefully. if all this increases our safety, improves the overall appearance of the l/z, or protects the noses of all us whaackers, then, again, why NOT?

what we should be doing is figuring out how repay these people for their dedication...

yeah, we should reimburse joe. why not?

but that's not to say that a dry, rock-strewn, gopher-hole-pock-marked llz, complete with fake plastic flowers, discoballs, knickknacks and beat up stuff doesn't have a charm of its own...

[greblo]

Rome, I appreciate you worrying about my bottom line, but I didn't ask you or anybody else to pay for the skip loader. I bought it because the club was in no position to spend $10,000, when it had a $45,000 gazebo in the works.

With the building industry in a slump, I paid about 1/2 the price that the Crestline club paid and got a loader with 1/2 the service hours on the engine.

It is true that I think the club should have a skip loader to handle it's future erosion and landscaping needs, and also true that I hope I can hold on to it long enough to give the club an opportunity to buy it for me when they get in a better financial position. If I can't wait that long, I plan to put it up for sale. In the meantime, why don't you just sit back and enjoy the small contribution to the lz. Soon the lz will be even wider and much safer for you to land in.

I've asked the club only to pay for diesel fuel and so far that bill has come to only about $65.00. Don Banas has generously donated 10 gallons of fuel as well.

As far as a training hill, you're way off base. It's a terrible place for a training hill and I just renewed my lease at Dockweiler for very long term.

As far as the club charging me to park the skip loader. That's a little like shooting the goose that laid the golden egg.

[Don]

Rome,

Rather than waiting for your death (which I hope is many, many years away) before doing something with your money - why not take just a small portion of your investments and buy the land just North of the LZ ! That way the club is protected from future growth.

[Christian]

Glad to hear Dockweiler is safe.

[Rome Dodson]

THE FOURM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED, SOMEONE CHANGED MY OPEN LETTER. THE BELOW LINES WERE ADDED TO MY LETTER. (SHOULD I PUT GREBLO IN MY WILL TO PAY FOR TRACTOR AND GAZEBO? ETC. BECAUSETHE INSPECTORS RED TAGGED THE LZ AND NEARLY HAD US THROWN OUT-----------WHEN I DO STUPISD STUFF MAYBE I CAN JUST PUT HIM IN MT WILL TO PAYHIM BACK FOR ALL THE CRAP I GIVE HIM AND MAKE ALL THIS WORTH HIS WHIEL OR ME ) ROME