How To Spend $278 Million

Apparently Kentucky is loaded. On Thursday, November 2, 2006 Governor Ernie Fletcher announced that General Fund revenue for the current fiscal year is coming in higher than originally projected and is expected to exceed budgeted levels at the end of the fiscal year.

The current estimate anticipates an extra $279 million. So, how should we spend it? I know how I would spend it.


Take The Survey
The last day to participate in the survey is January 25, 2006

Reno Whitewater Park Webcam

See what's happening right this moment down at the Truckee River Whitewater Park in Reno, Nevada.

Grants Being Sought by City for Whitewater, Trails

From the Friday, December 15, 2006 Kentucky Standard

By Bob White

Bardstown will send a representative to Elizabethtown Thursday to learn more about grants to aid the Beech Fork whitewater park project and trail projects being considered for implementation.

During Tuesday's Bardstown City Council meeting City Administrator Larry Green informed city leaders of two federal grants being offered through the Governor's Office of Local Development.

The funds being offered could be used to improve the riverbank of Beech Fork at the old rock dam near U.U. 31E bridge where a whitewater feature has been proposed.

"It won't help with the rebuilding of the dam, but it may be useful in building a trail to the river," Green said.

Green said funding could also be used for a connector trail between Beech Fork and Bardstown Community Park.

More information about the Land and Water Conservation Funds and the Recreational Trails grants will be learned during a Thursday meeting at the Lincoln Trail Area Development District office in Elizabethtown, Green said.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund offers 50-50 matching grants of $5,000 to $50,000. The average amount awarded to applicant communities in Kentucky last year was $39,951, according to Samantha Cool, Public Information Officer for the Governor's Office of Local Development.

Another project Land and Water Conservation Funds could be used for is disc-golf, Cook said.

"We have funded several of those in recent years," she said.

A committee of local tourism officials and local disc-golfers recently began looking for a place to construct a disc-gold course near Bardstown.

The Recreational Trails grant offers sums of between $2,500 and $100,000 to communities for trail projects.

Recreational Trails grants also require matching funds from the applicants, but the percentage of matching funds varies.

The average amount awarded to applicant communities for Recreational Trails funds last year was $30,565, Cook said.

Recreational Trails awards could also be applied to the whitewater feature construction Cook said, since the Recreational Trails program make funds available for water-trails.

Cook described the projects being talked about in Bardstown as "very interesting."

Possible Grant Money for WW Park

Some information has surfaced on one of two grants that have been discovered by Assistant City Administrator, Larry Green, which could be applied to the Bardstown Whitewater Park.

The Recreational Trails grant offers sums of between $2,500 and $100,000 to communities for trail projects. Recreational Trails grants require matching funds from the applicants, but the percentage of matching funds varies.

There is a direct connection between local recreational facilities and public health.  The Recreational Trails Program benefits communities, and enhances quality of life.

-From the Governor's Office for Local Development website.

According to Samantha Cook, Public Information Officer for the Governor’s Office of Local Development, the average amount awarded to applicant communities for Recreational Trails funds last year was $30,565. Recreational Trails awards could be applied to the whitewater feature construction since the Recreational Trails program makes funds available for water-trails.

At this Coalition for Recreational Trails website you can search a database to see how this grant has been used in the past.

Good Luck, Bob

Bardstown's most outspoken proponent for outdoor recreational and environmental causes is moving on to a sister newspaper in Elizabethtown. Bob White has covered the Bardstown Boaters greatest accomplishments over the past 2 years in our local press, and in doing so has helped us grow our efforts more than we ever could have imagined.

While there may be pretty buildings, whitewater and better economics in the future for this town, the people and their attitudes and approach to others is what will make Nelson County a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

-Bob White

Thanks for your support Bob and good luck in Elizabethtown. We'll see you on the water!

Kentucky Standard News Article - Discussion

National River Cleanup Week 2007

The Bardstown Boaters Annual Paddle Pickup will be held on June 9th, 2007.

Dear River Lover,

Last May, you and hundreds of other people led an estimated 60,000 thousand volunteers in cleaning up over 1,000 tons of trash from 100,000 miles of rivers and streams across America. Thank you for making the 2006 National River Cleanup Week the most successful yet!

Now is the time to gear up for next year's event. After 15 years, our good friends at America Outdoors have asked us to take over the reins of National River Cleanup Week.

As the nation's leading advocate for healthy rivers since 1973, American Rivers is excited to expand this popular and successful river protection program to even more watersheds, in many more communities.

Get details about next year's National River Cleanup Week (June 2-10, 2007) by reading the press release below or by visiting the new and improved website: www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

We hope you will continue your participation by registering your cleanup today! Remember, when we all pitch in, America's rivers win.

Clean Streams Forever!

ROB PERKS
Senior Director for Outreach
www.AmericanRivers.org

American Rivers Organizing Nationwide Cleanups

National River Cleanup Week (June 2-10, 2007)

Presented by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Volunteers Wanted: www.NationalRiverCleanup.org

WASHINGTON, DC – Millions of tons of trash wind up in our nation’s rivers and streams every year, and American Rivers is harnessing the environmental passion and community pride of thousands of people to do something about it. The nation’s leading river advocacy organization is encouraging citizens to take part in National River Cleanup Week, presented by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and set for June 2-10, 2007.

This annual event, which kicks off a series of cleanups across the country, falls during National River Awareness Month next year.

Since its inception by America Outdoors in 1992, National River Cleanup Week has helped to raise public awareness of the magnitude of trash accumulating in our nation’s waterways. Over the years more than 500,000 volunteers have participated in over 4,500 cleanups across the country, covering more than 100,000 miles of waterways. This past spring saw a record 422 cleanups, with an estimated 60,000 volunteers removing trash from their local rivers and streams.

“A healthy river is a valuable asset to any community, and we’re encouraging everyone to be a part of a program that has removed over 1,000 tons of litter and debris from beloved rivers and streams all over the nation,” said Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers. “A cleaner river is a healthier one, and healthy rivers benefit all the communities through which they flow.”

Not just a worthy cause, the cleanups also are fun for everyone. That explains why so many environmental organizations, civic clubs, paddle-sports groups, federal and state agencies, and schools organize these events in their local communities.

“You can’t find a more hands-on way to get people directly involved in protecting the rivers they love,” added Wodder.

Anyone wishing to organize a cleanup can do so by first identifying a stretch of river, stream or shoreline, and then registering the event online. The website offers helpful tips for conducting a successful cleanup, including how to recruit volunteers and promote the event to the public. American Rivers supplies trash bags for every cleanup. To register a cleanup or volunteer to participate, visit: www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

As part of its support, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is offering a free coffee mug and coffee sample to organizers who register their cleanup online by April 15, 2007. Corporate sponsors – including Old Town Canoes and Kayaks, Perception kayaks, Wilderness Systems, and Thule car racks – are providing free prizes to lucky volunteers who win various contests (best photo, video, publicity, and student essay).

###

Founded in 1973, American Rivers is a national non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy natural rivers for the benefit of people, wildlife and nature. American Rivers has over 65,000 supporters nationwide, with offices in Washington, DC and the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, California and Northwest regions. www.AmericanRivers.org.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is dedicated to providing the richest aroma and flavor, for the highest quality coffee experience. Green Mountain Coffee travels the globe to purchase the finest coffees, batch roast them to peak flavor, and vacuum package them fresh for your enjoyment. www.greenmountaincoffee.com

An Inconvenient Truth

On Tuesday I attended a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show where she had Al Gore as her guest. He was presenting information from his documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Now I don't know how much stock I take into this film and the way it portrays the Earth's climactic demise, but I do certainly believe we as human being need to reduce our carbon dioxide output.

Here are 5 things we can all do to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions.

Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in the U.S. made the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation.

Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.

Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

For more ways to save energy and reduce your impact visit: www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/

Year In Review

By Jay Thomas

Now in the final days of the 2006th year following the first Christmas I look back at the last 350+ days and remember the exciting, adventurous, and communal times spent on and around the waterways of the southern US. I recollect the joys of planning the logistics of a trip; the initial idea of when and where to go, who to bring along, what to pack, where to stay, how to get there, and what to expect. I remember the excitement of the new places I visited this year. I reflect on the social times of bringing along friends and acquaintances to the wonderful places that I had experienced before, and watching them enjoy it, sometimes as much as me.

I feel proud of the work that we have done as a group for the community. The club has gained members and we have all gained friends by showing others that they are not alone in their love for the water and outdoors. We have also proven to the community that we care about the current and future state of our waterways by hosting the second successful Paddle Pickup. Furthermore, we have worked hard to demonstrate the potential of Beech Fork River for local and regional recreation with the push to construct the Bardstown Whitewater Park. I cannot imagine belonging to a more enthusiastic and committed group. I see the Bardstown Boaters continuing the successes of our past and growing on the very enthusiasm and commitment that brings us together.

I must mention my favorite trips of the year:

1. Number one must be my bachelor trip to the Big South Fork.

2. My first trip down the Ocoee. For a long time I had been looking forward to when I would finally have the skill to hit the Ocoee.

3. First miles of the Sheltowee Trace.

4. Paddle Pickup 2006

What are your favorites of the year?

Rio Grande in 2007

The little-known stretch of the Rio Grande just downriver from Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, showcases the riverine glories of the desert Southwest: twisting slot canyons, fortresslike bluffs, hot springs, and sporty rapids. Better still, expeditioners here can often paddle for a week to ten days without encountering another party. For more info visit National Geographic.

John Mathews and I are planning on going back to the Rio Grande in March of next year. Zach Nelson, Kenny Thomas, John Mathews and Jay Thomas went to the Rio Grande in March of 2005. I separated my shoulder the night before the big trip and was unable to go. Kenny took my spot at the last minute.

So this time I vow to to undergo no injuries and finally get back to this great expedition river run that I greatly missed the first time.

Right now I am penciling in March 3rd through the 11th as the dates for the trip. This would leave 2 travel days, the first Saturday and the last Sunday. The other 7 days would be spent running the class II-III 80+ miles of the Lower Rio Grande. I am thinking of flying in to Midland Texas, then renting gear and a shuttle in Texas.

American Whitewater's Reach
Daily Report: PDF (between 3.5 and 4.5 feet, at Dryden, ideal.

Let me know if you want to go!

The Way of the Whitewater Park

In the last decade communities have managed to build dozens of whitewater play parks and slalom training courses, often overcoming a force as indecipherable as nature herself, if not nearly so benign: local bureaucracy. Artificial whitewater courses are popping up across the country, in traditional whitewater towns like Salida, Colo., and less likely locales such as Fort Worth, Texas, and Charlotte, N.C. You can spin and blunt on engineered rapids in Green River, Wyo., and Ogden, Utah, and challenge your slalom skills on a world-class training facility outside of Washington, D.C.

Whether the project is a single play feature added to an existing stream, a diverted channel or a completely self-contained artificial river surrounded by a stadium, artificial courses across the United States are providing local communities with new recreation opportunities.

Judging from the precedent of other outdoor sports, whitewater parks could help fuel a paddling boom. Olympic paddler-turned-course designer Scott Shipley envisions consumers “taking whitewater for a test drive” on artificial courses complete with moveable obstacles and adjustable play features. With the advent of indoor climbing gyms, a new generation of convenience-oriented enthusiasts is now a mainstay of the outdoor sports community.

Established boaters salivate at the thought of quality year-round whitewater just minutes from home or work. While all paddlers can appreciate a convenient spot to paddle for fun and fitness, few hear about the behind-the-scenes wrangling needed to secure permits, water rights and money to bring these water parks to life. With prices ranging from the tens of thousands to the tens of millions, the success of a whitewater park often relies on being able to fund its design and construction.

Truckee River, Reno, Nevada

The country’s best-publicized whitewater park, Reno, Nev., is redefining the whitewater destination. “It’s a true source of pride,” Reno resident and 2003 world freestyle kayaking champion Jay Kincaid says of Winfield Park’s $1.5 million whitewater course, which includes walking paths and sitting areas.

The park’s multiple channels offer something for every paddler, from rodeo boaters to slalom racers and beginners. World-class paddlers convened at this park in May of last year for the invitation-only Grand Opening—an event that was held during drought flows and in which hometown favorite Kincaid narrowly bested current World Champion Eric Jackson. Though the course has yet to see the average 2,000cfs spring flows it was designed for, 30,000 people visited the three-day festival, and the local inner tube concessionaire rang up 10,000 rentals during one three-month period.

Despite its success, the whitewater course was a huge gamble, even by Reno standards. “We’d secured funding through a statewide municipal bond, but we’d planned to start construction before the funds would be available, forcing us to face the possibility of having to wait an entire year,” says project manager Jim Litchfield. “We asked the owners of two large hotel casinos, Harrah’s of Reno and The Eldorado, to each provide a bridge loan of $500,000, interest free and unsecured.”

Remarkably, the casinos each wagered a half-million dollars that the course would be a success. The Reno city council also put up $500,000 to show its commitment to the project. The gamble paid off. “I don’t know if I could ever accurately portray our stress through this period,” says Litchfield.


Clear Creek, Golden, Colorado

The Clear Creek Whitewater Park in Golden, Colo., has become a centerpiece for the picturesque mountain town, a source of municipal pride and—most importantly for the development of whitewater parks nationwide—an economic catalyst. Built at an initial cost of $165,000, economic projections have the park bringing the town more than $1.4 million every year. That figure has inspired local governments in Colorado and beyond to pursue whitewater parks of their own.

But the Golden course set more than just a profitability precedent. It also has shaped the water-rights landscape in a part of the country where water rights traditionally have flowed to ranches.

Although whitewater parks don’t consume water, they do require water to flow downstream. To agricultural interests who count on holding scarce water resources in reservoirs, letting water flow downhill for something as frivolous as kayaking is a major threat (see sidebar). In 2001, Golden went to the Colorado Supreme Court to win guaranteed water releases for its whitewater park. “That decision was the big breakthrough, and Golden has shouldered the burden since as the lightning rod for subsequent water rights cases,” says Glenn Porzak, who has represented several Colorado cities in similar court cases. Golden, Vail and Breckenridge all have prevailed in court cases asking for recreational water releases. Gunnison’s case is in the courts now, and Steamboat Springs and Salida each have cases that are likely to go to trial. “A municipality’s strongest argument is that the use is non-consumptive and beneficial to the community,” Porzak says.

The State opposed the City’s recreational water demands because it considered the requested flows “excessive and unreasonable,” says Colorado Water Conservation Board lawyer Ted Kowalski. “The State is not against recreation. But we don’t know how to define a specific flow level as ‘reasonable’ according to the law on a course that’s going to be engineered anyway.”


Gore Creek, Vail, Colorado

Vail, Colo., is no stranger to whitewater, but until 2002, whitewater events such as the Teva Mountain Games were held on the Eagle River outside of town. Tourism is the lifeblood of Vail’s ski-town economy, and town planners recognized the value of positioning an outdoor-sports event in the downtown business district, particularly one that can draw visitors long after the snow melts from the ski slopes.

Early in 2002, the Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau proposed modifying Gore Creek so that freestyle paddling events could take place in the heart of Vail Village. They commissioned a design that provided high-quality whitewater without looking man-made. With the backing of tourism bureau, the $130,000 project was completed in a matter of months. The park has since played host to the most aggressively promoted annual freestyle competition in the country, part of the Teva Mountain Games.

The Vail park has had a dramatic effect on an otherwise winter-based town. Despite the park’s short season, pre-construction studies projected more than $1 million per year into the local economy. Tourists can watch paddlers in action, and local boaters—while not flocking to the artificial creation when Colorado’s natural whitewater is running—give it a solid workout daily.

The park does, however, point out the hubris of trying to improve upon nature. Sedimentation from the yearly cycle of high water often neutralizes man-made features, requiring periodic maintenance. Sediment has already affected two of Vail’s features. The town is currently looking at ways to re-engineer the project, says Ian Anderson of the Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau. “We compromised too much of the project for aesthetics,” says Anderson, also an avid paddler. “With proper planning venues can be built to be both structurally sound and aesthetic.”


Upper Ocoee: An Olympian Effort

When the Ocoee River was tapped to host the 1996 Olympic slalom competition, engineers, led by John Anderson and Rick McLaughlin, converted the shallow shoals above the traditional put-in into one of the world’s premier slalom courses. The $7.7 million facelift to the river bed—plus more for a visitor’s center and other amenities—also created some excellent play spots, including the challenging hole above the aptly named drop Humongous.

Olympic organizers came to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Ocoee, with exacting requirements. “The course had to fit into the environment, it had to be a world-class venue, and if it cracked one-eight of an inch we were done, as it needed to withstand periodic flooding of 30,000 cfs or more,” says Paul Wright, who managed the project for the U.S. Forest Service. On top of all that, it couldn’t cost the Atlanta Olympic organizers a dime.

U.S. wildwater team member David Jones and others rallied unprecedented political momentum, forcing the Forest Service to foot the construction costs and the Tennessee Valley Authority to supply the water. The cost savings allowed Atlanta organizers to sweeten their bid, and the slalom course became a key element in bringing the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta.

The race course and the Olympic slalom competition were both unqualified successes, but four days after the Olympic torch went out, the team that designed and built the course was reassigned. "The Forest Service was tired of dealing with it," Wright says. In the years after the Olympics the TVA allowed only 10 to 20 releases per year, based on a burdensome fee system.

The last great slalom event planned on the Upper Ocoee, the 2001 Whitewater Slalom World Championships, was cancelled in the wake of Sept. 11. With infrequent releases and world-class play five miles downstream at Hell Hole, the Ocoee park has never established itself as a river-running and playboating attraction. The natural river section just downstream (popularly known as the Lower Ocoee, though technically the Middle Ocoee) hosts thousands of rafters every summer weekend.

Local outfitters and American Whitewater successfully resolved a seven-year effort to secure 54 releases each year on the Upper Ocoee in 2003 which will last for at least the next 15 years. Thanks to these releases, raft trips and non-commercial paddlers are enjoying the Upper Ocoee, and the venue once again has a chance to realize the potential shown during the 1996 Olympics.

Dayton WW Park Idea May Return

From the Dayton Daily News
By Ken McCall

October 26th, 2006

The disappointment in the paddling community was thick last week when a study found the proposed white-water park on the Great Miami River was too expensive.

The Miami Conservancy District and Five Rivers MetroParks wanted to build a white-water play facility that would also give less experienced paddlers a safe way to get around the low dam near the Monument Avenue bridge.

But the study found the park cost would total close to $10 million. That was too much, the agencies decided, and the proposal has been scrapped.

Interviews with folks from the two agencies and the community found spirits to be running at low ebb last week. But the people involved are regrouping and looking for other ideas.

Carrie Scarff, the park district's point person on the white-water park, said she's feeling better.

"You recover from the disappointment," Scarff said Thursday, "and you start to think of the other opportunities that are out there."

Scarff said the park and conservancy districts won't be considering another big white-water attraction, but they still want to create "fun places to paddle" on the region's rivers.

"If there's a place like where we can add some rock to the river and enhance spots that already exist or create other spots or provide eddies, we're going to look for opportunities to do that," she said.

The top priority, however, is creating ways for people in kayaks and canoes to get around the low dams. The two districts, she said, want to make the rivers as easy to travel as the bikeways that run along them.

So they're going to look at fixing the dangerous dams, creating places to park, to put in and take out boats, and even some remote camping spots in the parks along the rivers.

"Whether you're taking a daylong trip, an expedition or a quick trip down our rivers, we want people to see the rivers as a great recreational asset," she said.

Whitewater Warehouse co-owners Bernie Farley and Jeryl Yantis said they were deeply disappointed by the high cost of the proposed park.

But they say the decision to abandon the proposal was responsible and predict it will lead to an even better project.

The shop, located on Valley Street along the Mad River in Old North Dayton, sells and rents kayaks and equipment, and offers training events on the Mad and other rivers.

Farley said he'll be pushing another proposal soon.

"I've traveled around the country and have been to several white-water parks," Farley said. "If we don't do it, I guarantee you someone else will."

People currently rent equipment, he said, and drive up to six hours to boat on a white-water park in South Bend, Ind., or on rivers in West Virginia, so he's sure the demand is there.

Miami Conservancy District General Manager Janet Bly said the community showed enthusiasm for the project in public meetings, but she said the agencies need to be more creative.

"The conceived project was a great idea," Bly said, "and we just need to come up with something that's just as great only costs less."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2393 or kmccall@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Recounting Mount Taranaki

Back in March of 2004 I spent some time in New Zealand. Our recent Red River Gorge hike got me thinking about some of my New Zealand adventures. Climbing Mt. Taranaki was one of them.

Dominating the regions landscape from every conceivable angle, the picturesque Mount Taranaki is the North Island’s second highest mountain, and The Egmont National Park is New Zealand’s second oldest National Park. Mount Taranaki was used as a backdrop for 2003’s epic movie “The Last Samurai”.

• My trip report from March 28th, 2004

Alternative Sports Groups Continue

The entire article can be found at the Kentucky Standard.

--------------

Bardstown Boaters, a group of local whitewater enthusiasts, first proposed the project and have since compiled a preliminary informational package for local officials to review.

Fund-raising efforts to generate funding necessary to hire a design firm to compile a formal study of the whitewater park began Sept. 30 with a paddlers poker run on Beech Fork which raised almost $1,000.

Spalding Hurst, Bardstown Boaters president, said in a recent interview that local businesses were also being solicited for donations to fund the $6,700 cost of hiring a design firm for the preliminary studies.

Dawn Ballard, Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist and Convention Commission vice-president, said the next step for the whitewater committee would be solicitation of Bardstown City Council and tourism officials to request matching funds for the hiring of a design firm.

That meeting of whitewater proponents and public officials was delayed until after Election Day.

The work to be done by the design firm is a must-do before definite plans for the whitewater park and possible raising of the rock dam can continue, according to Bardstown City Administrator Larry Green.

He began researching available funding for the whitewater park and dam work and said state and federal agencies require professional designs and cost estimates prior to earmarking funds for a project like a whitewater park.

Whitewater parks throughout the nation, similar to what is planned for Beech Fork, range in cost from $140,000 to about $2 million.

Bardstown Election Results

Heaton wins nod for Bardstown Mayor - Kentucky Standard

Election 2006 provides pundits with plenty of surprises - Nelson County Gazette

About the City Council

Bardstown Mayor
• Dick Heaton - 1,528 Votes - 55%
Dixie Hibbs - 1,130 Votes - 40%
Steven Wimsatt - 152 Votes - 5%

Bardstown Council
• Tommy Reed - 2,047 Votes - 16%
• Robert Simpson - 2,000 Votes - 15%
• Francis Lydian - 1,869 Votes - 14%
• Bill Sheckles - 1,822 - 14%
• Fred Hagen - 1,763 - 13%
• John Royalty - 1,464 - 11%
Joseph Hicks - 1,122 - 9%
Rick Molyneaux - 1,089 - 8%

Precincts reporting: 12 of 12 (100%)
• Winner

The Nelson County Gazette

I just ran across a very interesting website that I had not known existed. The Nelson County Gazette, an enhanced weblog that examines news, politics and life in and around Nelson County. They go by the slogan "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one." So far I have found the site quite interesting. I have included some links to articles that may be of some interest to us boaters.

Meeting attendees cuss, discuss city environmental issues

Two canoeists safe after getting lost on flooded Beech Fork

The ASCI Looks Very Interesting

Adventure Sports Center International (asci) is home to the world’s only mountain-top whitewater course and to a diverse array of adventure sports opportunities.

This whitewater park is set to open the Spring of 2007 on the summit of Marsh Mountain in McHenry, Maryland. McHenry is 3 hours from the Washington, DC area, 2 hours from Pittsburgh, and within a 3 hour drive for over 26 million people.

The asci whitewater course is just over 1700 feet long and drops 24 feet. Pumps lift water from the lower pond and shoot it out horizontally into the start pool at a speed of 5 feet per second. At five locations on the course are variable wave shapers that allow asci to adjust the waves and hydraulics to fit the needs and desires of the guests.

• Adventure Sports Center International
• Pictures

Paddlers to Race Kentucky Gorge

SAMIRA JAFARI

Associated Press

ELKHORN CITY, Ky. - Gerald DeLong has paddled whitewater rapids across the country for nearly 30 years, but it's an eastern Kentucky river that courses through his veins.

Like the thousands of others who have kayaked, canoed and rafted their way down the Russell Fork River, a 15-mile stretch of water from Virginia to Kentucky, DeLong finds its rocky twists, turns and treacherous gorge irresistible.

"You just have to love the water," said Delong, 50, of Elkhorn City, taking a break from a chilly morning kayaking trip to catch his breath and munch on salmon slices.
DeLong, known as the "Father of the Fork" to some, and his son, Matthew, will join about 500 others for this weekend's Russell Fork Rendezvous, an annual festival celebrating the river's natural obstacles and the last high water of the season.

About a dozen, including 26-year-old Matthew, will enter the Lord of the Fork race - a high-speed trek propelling kayakers around the four-mile gorge, taunting them with jagged rocks, powerful waves and narrow outlets.

For whitewater enthusiasts, it's the best time of the year to run the Russell Fork. Each weekend in October, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases the dam at the Pound River in Virginia to bring water levels down for the winter.

Spilling nearly three times as much water downstream across the Kentucky state line into the Russell Fork, the result is four weekends of faster, higher waters that draw paddlers as far as Europe and Australia.

"They come from all over the country, the world, to paddle this river in October," said festival organizer Steve Ruth. "We draw the upper echelon of kayakers in October."
Moe Kelleher, 21, traveled from his native Ireland just to participate in the Lord of the Fork race. His buddy, Dave Finney, 23, of Roanoke, Va., will join him, hoping to get through the gorge without any flip-overs, cuts or broken bones.

"I just close my eyes the whole way down," Finney laughed after finishing a recent practice run.

While the river ranges from milder difficulty levels, the gorge's obstructed, turbulent rapids, steep drops and congested chutes have earned it a Class 5 label by expert boaters.

Typically, Class 5 rapids are meant for only the most experienced of paddlers who have the endurance and skill to maneuver such dangerous waterways, according to American Whitewater. The North Carolina-based environmental group recognized for its expertise in paddling and safety has marked some 45 rapids nationwide as Class 5.
While some whitewater veterans, like Gerald DeLong and Ruth, have crossed the gorge at their own pace, they refuse to race it.

"You have to get your mind set for it," said Ruth, before adding with a laugh, "Only crazy people race."

The heightened momentum of the Lord of the Fork competition, named after Jon Lord, who drowned in a kayaking accident at the river in January 2004, splits the best into racers and non-racers.

Daniel Helbert, 21, of Coeburn, Va., said the key is to "become one with the river," before actually racing the gorge. Helbert, who has paddled other Class 5 rapids in West Virginia and Tennessee, said he'd probably be ready to enter the Lord of the Fork next year.

"I want to get used to these high water levels," Helbert said. "It's very intense in places."

For Sara Martin, the allure of Russell Fork in autumn is less about competition than nostalgia. This is where Martin's future husband took her on their first date, where he proposed marriage and where they had their wedding.

"This is our home away from home," said Martin, 27, of Canton, N.C. "To me it's a very spiritual experience here. ... You have to respect this river."

ON THE NET
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/15830033.htm
Russell Fork River at http://www.russellfork.info

Capsized Canoeists Rescued from Salt

By Robin Bass
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:35 PM EDT
from The Spencer Magnet

What started out as a pleasant trip down the Salt River ended abruptly last Tuesday when several canoes tipped over spilling three adults and five children into the cold rushing water.

"Up until that moment, we were having a great time," said Ty Neal, who brought along his wife and two daughters for the trip.

Eleven people in all had decided to spend the afternoon on the river after renting canoes from Salt River Outfitters. The plan was to launch from the tailwaters at Taylorsville Lake Dam and end their trip at the rental shop on East River Road.

"They told us the water was up and we needed to use good judgement," said Neal.

But all agreed no one could have known what lay ahead.

Brett Beaverson said that he and his twelve-year-old daughter Hannah were about four minutes down river of the others and were the first to encounter a fallen tree spanning the width of the river. The pair attempted to slip through a narrow opening, but the swift current didn't allow them enough time to execute the maneuver.

"My head hit a branch. We wobbled and went over," said Hannah.

After making sure his daughter was okay, Beaverson began yelling warnings to the approaching canoes.

"I was yelling up river '9-1-1' and 'Get on the shore,'" he said.

While they waited, clinging to branches from the tree, Beaverson said he and Hannah began to pray. "We prayed for the babies coming down the river, because we knew what was coming," recalled Beaverson as tears formed in his eyes.

Just upriver the remaining canoe party, containing three more adults and six children ranging in ages from 7 to 13, were fast approaching.

"We heard people screaming and we didn't know what was going on," said Tatum Neal, 8, one of Ty Neal's daughters.

When the group became aware of their dilemma, some tried to get around the tree while others attempted to get their canoes to the riverbanks.

Three managed to get safely to shore and make the call for help, while the rest were flipped over by the strong current. Rescuers found most of the canoe party holding onto branches or sitting atop the large tree that caused their perdicament.

Connie Jefferies and her daughter, Courtney, were found a little further downstream after Courtney lost her grip.

"Her mom let go to go after Courtney," said Hannah.

"They were all real lucky," said Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Bennett who responded to the scene, "the Corps of Engineers were letting the water out at full capacity."

According to the Army Corp of Engineers daily lake information line, water that day was being discharged into the tailwaters at a rate of 2,250 cubic feet per second which equates to over one million gallons per minute.

"As swift as that water was moving, they couldn't get over to the shore in time," said Taylorsville/Spencer County Fire Chief Nathan Nation, "the ones that were in the water were fortunate enough to have something to hang onto and weren't swept under."

Nation said it was also fortunate that everyone in the canoe party was wearing a life preserver.

"You just can't say enough about wearing life jackets," said Nation.

The whole rescue took firefighters and others that responded only about 45 minutes to bring everyone safely to shore, but for some of those waiting in the water, it seemed like much longer.

"While I was in the water I kept moving my hands and feet to make sure they were okay," said Heather Beverson, "If we had been there 20 minutes more we would have frozen to death."

While it was highly unlikely anyone was going to perish from frostbite, Nation said in this type of situation hypothermia and more likely, drowning, is a concern. Which is why local firefighters have been working to improve their response to water emergencies.

Nation said since the rescue of Matthew Gentry in May 2004 from another section of the Salt River, "we have made the commitment to increase our water rescue training and the equipment needed in those rescues."

In fact just last month, local firefighters participated in a two-day water rescue training at Taylorsville Lake.

"There's no doubt that training came in to play" during this recent rescue, said Nation, "it went pretty smoothly even though it was the most difficult one we've done so far."

The stranded canoe party was returned back to shore by firefighters in life jackets swimming out to some and by throwing a rope out to others. Those rescued by rope were escorted safely through the rushing water.

"The rescue team did a phenomenal job. It looked like they did it by the book," said Neal after he and the rest of the canoe party was dry and secure back at the rental store, "we are going to come back. We'll just wait for the water to go down."

Support the Bardstown WW Park

Please visit a new section of the Bardstown Boaters website and write a few words on why you would like to see a whitewater park built in bardstown. We need to gather up as much local support for the park we can and we can now document that support right here: CLICK HERE

Please give this link to family and friends or anyone you know who wants to support bringing this unique opportunity to Bardstown.

To learn more about the whitewater park idea, click here.

Whitewater Park Interests Crest

Our Views/Editorials

From The Kentucky Standard: Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Enthusiasm seems to be building for a whitewater park on the Beech Fork in Bardstown.

Fundraising efforts are underway to pay for a visit and analysis by a whitewater park engineer, who will address issues such as water flow and structural feasibility.

While the plan is still just in the idea phase, it does seem to be generating both discussion and actual efforts toward moving the plan forward.

A poker run Saturday that finished at the site of the proposed park drew good participation, especially considering the rainy weather.

The poker run raised more than $500 to add to a “pot” to pay for an engineer’s visit, which is expected to cost about $7,000.

Additional fundraisers are already in the works and whitewater enthusiasts seem to be rallying behind the effort.

Anytime a plan generates both enthusiasm and specific activities that involve real work to further the effort, it makes sense to take note and watch for results.

The Bourbon Festival was just a plan a few short years ago, as were other local initiatives that draw thousands of people to the area annually.

A whitewater park may be just such an idea.