Race Regatta Q and A

The Angle Lake Shore Club Blog Team had received an email containing a list of questions generated in response to the recent Public Notice regarding a proposal to bring J-Series Racing to Angle Lake. The questions were raised by a resident of Angle Lake and replies to each of the questions was supplied by J.W. Myers, Race Director for Seattle Outboard Association.

Seattle Outboard Association strives to be a family oriented and respectful organization since 1929. SOA has held events on waters such as Angle Lake for their 85 years of existence. For example, this Saturday June 6th, SOA will be operating an event on Silver Lake in Everett, a lake where absolutely no powerboats are normally permitted.  SOA has been conducting races there on an annual basis for several decades. Seattle Outboard Association encourages everyone to join them in Everett to get a preview of the type of event that could be held at Angle Lake.

The ALSC encourages all residents to continue directing concerns, comments and questions to J.W. Myers (JDub47R@yahoo.com) to have them addressed or plan to attend the community meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 12th @ 7:00 PM in the Safeco Room at the Matt Griffin YMCA and receive replies in person.

Questions and Answers: 

ALIEN SPECIES:   Will all the boats and trailers be inspected for invasive species?   What guarantee does the Angle Lake community have that no invasive species will be introduced by any participant?   If some species creeps through the inspections, who is going to pay for cleanup?

• How our outboard boats are launched is by way of a small hand cart or dolly. The boats and carts only enter the water for the duration of a heat race, then removed from the water and returned to the participants pit area on the shore. There has been no known evidence of invasive species involved in our sport. Also with the short duration of time of the boats being in the water combined with the maintenance and speed of the boats, it would be extremely unlikely our sport would ever have a remote risk of such a problem in the future.

TRAILER PARKING:   Where will the trailers be parked?  Are all boats that race unloaded before any race starts, or before all racing starts?   Is trailer parking going to take up space that Angle Lake Park users (especially on a hot weekend mid-summer day) need?  Are trailers going to be going up and down the Angle Lake Park boat ramp all day, disturbing the Park users, especially parents and small children?

• Each teams' equipment trailers will be parked on the lower north-east potion of the park. Seattle Outboard Association intends on utilizing only one of the park shelters for administration purposes. Arrangements are being made to use the Alaska Airlines parking lot for the participants and crews. The "Hot Pit" area in the area will be fenced off and only accessed via pit pass that is available by simply signing an insurance release. Our intent is to have minimal impact on the park so the public can enjoy it, and there will be no charge for spectators.

FAMILY/FRIENDS GATHERINGS:  A weekend in the middle of July is PRIME TIME for families and friends to use the lake, to swim, to boat, to paddle, weddings, picnics, reunions, parties.   Some of these events may well have been planned months in advance.  Most of them would have attendees who want to use the lake or hear wedding vows, not racing engines.

• Agreed. July is PRIME TIME for families and friends to gather. This event will not close the entire lake. However while the races are under way, the East/West leg of the lake will be closed. In the event of a wedding, let us know! We have one race site that nearly every year has a wedding scheduled at the same time. Seattle Outboard Association respectfully pauses during their ceremony. Just a little communication, and we will happily do so.

WATER LEVEL:  There are areas of the lake that can become very shallow, enough to cause problems for an oval race course if the next few weeks are hot and dry.  Presumably an ambulance boat would be near these areas should any race boat flip.  And race planners have no doubt studied expected weather for the weeks before the proposed races.

• Water levels would have to drastically drop for such a problem to arise. Our race boats and safety boats commonly operate in less than six feet of water without any problem.

DAMAGE TO DOCKS AND BEACHES:  Accidents happen – boats can plow into or flip onto docks and spectators.  What insurance is provided to take care of property and medical problems that happen as a result of racing?

• Yes, accidents do happen... American Power Boat Association requires conducting clubs to purchase liability insurance policies for no less than $5,000,000.

SPECTATORS:  Are they going to be at Angle Lake Park?  Can that dock hold everyone who might want to watch?  Are extra lifeguards being hired to take of an increased number of Park users?  Who is paying for the extra lifeguards?

• The event will in fact be held at Angle Lake Park. For insurance and safety reasons, that dock and swimming beach will be closed during the hours of the event.

SPEED LIMIT:  Boats on the lake are restricted to NO WAKE!!!!  How can races take place there? What precedent does changing allowed speeds do in the future?

• We are aware of the 8MPH Speed Limit on the lake. As we have done for many decades on other lakes, the local jurisdictions will include a variance for speed limits in the permitting process. This variance would pertain to the participants in the sanctioned, insured, controlled event within the permitted time specified in the permit only. Therefore there will be no uncontrolled "Free For All" to the public on the lake. 

ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL:  Why not try for races in March, before fish are stocked?  People are not planning outdoor events at the lake in the middle of winter.  Water levels are probably not going to be a problem, assuming some rain over the winter.

• As mentioned above, water levels are unlikely to be a problem. As for the winter months, our "Race Season" generally starts in early to Mid-May. Besides there would clearly be an added health risk to racing in that cold of weather.

I'd like to thank the resident who took the time and made the effort to compile their questions and present them to SOA for an opportunity to respond to these concerns.  

I'd also like to be clear that the race event this year is to 'test the waters' so to speak to help the community determine if it is something desirable to continue offering in the future. It is understandable that there may be some reluctance to bringing this onto our lake but if we at least give it a try then we can decide if it’s something the majority want brought back again. Regardless, if the response at the Public Meeting on the 12th is more negative than positive, the Angle Lake Shore Club Board uphold their assigned duty to represent the majority decision. 

Frank Hansen Memorial Regatta

Frank Hansen Memorial Race

(A Seafair Community Partner Event)

3595 So 188th St, SeaTac 98188

Second Weekend in September

Why Frank Hansen? 

Frank consistently offered complimentary comments toward the Angle Lake Shore Club efforts of sustaining long held traditions on the lake and frequently encouraged board members to consider bringing new events to the lake.  This encouragement motivated Shore Club Advisor, Steve Beck, to consider bringing hydroplane boats ‘back’ onto the lake after hearing the stories that Frank shared with him regarding races held here years ago. Once the event concept started forming, the suggestion was floated to consider honoring Frank for his support and encouragement.   

VOTED “BEST MAYOR” 

ACCORDING TO SEATTLE STRANGER MAGAZINE READERS

In 1989, retired airline pilot Frank Hansen began a new career in politics. He served a total of 16 years on the City of SeaTac City Council, including three terms as mayor. Frank was SeaTac's first mayor and is still considered by many to be our best. According to the Stranger, Hansen has won Best Mayor for as long as SeaTacians have been sending in Best of SeaTac ballots. 

Hansen compared early SeaTac politics to the Wild West. “Anybody could get things done in that free-for-all environment” he used to say “given enough git-up-an'-go”. And get things done Hansen did. Among his accomplishments, he was instrumental in obtaining approval for the third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; securing funding for the State Route 509 expansion project; moving City Hall to its current location on South 188th Street; and working with the Port of Seattle to extend Seattle's light rail service directly to SeaTac.

Frank had his very own brand of charm. He was open and unpretentious, gregarious and funny, intelligent and warm. Frank couldn't go anywhere - whether it was Costco or an international airport - without running into someone he knew. He was a wonderful storyteller, drawing on a lifetime's worth of colorful material. Frank derived great pleasure from his family, spending time in Maui, reciting the poetry of Robert W. Service, and grilling flank steak and salmon on his barbeque overlooking Angle Lake.

In an interview with the Highline Times back in 2010, Frank explained “During my first term as mayor we had an aggressive program to eliminate drugs and prostitution, including "John" sting operations. One evening I was headed north on International Boulevard when I noticed a very attractive lady standing by the road. As I got closer, I realized it was one of our police officers, Katy Horgan. I waved at her and kept going. The next day at city hall, Officer Katy told me it was good I hadn't stopped as Channel 5 was filming from across the street and that would have been hard to explain.”

That’s the kind of guy Frank was… always ready to share a story drawn from his very rich lifetime of experience.

Angle Lake Station Neighborhood Design Workshop

You may think that meeting years in advance of light rail operations due in the Angle Lake neighborhood in 2016 may be a bit premature; however the City of SeaTac is interest in working closely with the community to create a more inclusive and cohesive vision for the future of the neighborhood around the station. Public feedback is an important part of the complete planning process. 

On Thursday, May 29, the City will be holding a Neighborhood Design Workshop. At the workshop you can hear about feedback the community provided at the May 1 Visioning Workshop and learn more about potential design ideas for the Angle Lake Station neighborhood, including: 

• New ways to get around by bike and on foot 
• Building and street design concepts 
• Areas for potential redevelopment 

Angle Lake Station Neighborhood Design Workshop 

Thursday, May 29, 2014 

6:30 - 8:00 PM 

Madrona Elementary School Library 

20301 32nd Avenue S., SeaTac 

You can find more information about the Angle Lake Station Area Plan here.  Or if you are unable to attend the planning session, you can still provide your input via the following Neighborhood Questionnaire.

Before Military Road

Today, Military Road on West Hill provides an expansive view of the Cascades and Mount Rainier and an alternative to Interstate 5. However, nearly 150 years ago when it was built, a heavily forested Military Road linked the first pioneers of Seattle with the Army forts to the south. The route ran through the Duwamish Valley and what would eventually become cities in their own right: the cities of Tukwila; SeaTac; Des Moines; Kent and Federal Way.

This week, Foster High School drama students will be performing their original play, "Before Military Road”. It's the early story of Military Road. The story starts with the wedding of Dr. Samuel Grow and Eveline Avery on Feb. 7, 1855, early Seattle pioneers. There's talk of this new road that reports indicated was laid out by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. With a new road, pioneers could transport their goods, connect the homesteads with each other and provide quick military protection for settlers from Indian tribes. The homesteaders celebrate the Fourth of July; but the harvest in the fall of 1855 is interrupted by hostilities between settlers and the Native Americans. The homesteaders flee to Seattle, not returning until Thanksgiving 1856, the play's final scene.

The play is 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 22 and 23, at the Foster High School Performing Arts Center, 4242 S. 144th St. Tickets are $5 for adults and students without ASB cards, $4 for Students with ASB Card.

Foster's drama students did the original research on Military Road for the play and worked with the Tukwila Historical Society on authenticity. "They came up with the basic plot structure and initial dialogue," said Cynthia Chesak, Foster's drama teacher. They then worked with playwright Rachel Atkins to refine the story. Atkins added characters, based on feedback from the historical society, and worked on the dialogue to make it more historically accurate.

Twenty students act in the play and there are two adult cameos. On Thursday evening, Andy Giron, a social studies teacher, plays territorial Gov. Isaac Stevens. On Friday Pat Brodin, past president of the Tukwila Historical Society and the City of Tukwila's operations manager, will play Stevens. Matt Leonard, Foster's football coach and junior varsity baseball coach, will play the justice of the peace both nights.

You Can Lead A Horse To Water....

Now, I’m not inferring that you may all be horses!  It is only an expression mind you! And in this case it is being used to describe an instance where the ALSC board has supplied written detailed information on several occasions regarding the status of the fireworks display but of course we can’t force you to read it.

For instance, I had been approached by an individual at the Fishing Derby stating that they had heard there was not going to be any fireworks on the lake this year and wanted to know why – heck, even at the Aprill 22nd council meeting our own council representative from the lake publicly claimed ignorance to the details regarding the Shore Club’s reasons for canceling the show - and he is recognized as being the Chairman of the Festival Committee that we have been collaborating with for the past several months! So for some reason our message is not being received as intended.

I responded to the individual at the fishing derby by asking if they had read the Spring Newsletter that provided details leading up to the Board of Directors unanimous decision to forego the display for 2014 and the reply I received was “yes, I saw it, but I didn’t read it”.

Another member remarked that they started to read it but felt there was just too much detail to finish reading the article.  That’s unfortunate because the individuals who contributed to this article tried to strike an appropriate balance for inclusion of enough detail to demonstrate how much time and activity had been invested over the past eight months toward this effort – yet not delivering too much information as to lose the reader.  Based on the above cases, it seems that we had failed in this objective. 

If you simply weren’t aware of, or maybe hadn’t received a copy of the newsletter containing the President’s Letter covering this topic, you can access an online version located under the hotlink at the top of this page titled ‘Newsletter’. Otherwise at the risk of being too lean on details yet delivering on the essential request of ‘Don’t Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!” the situation is:  

• There is currently no platform available to the ALSC for which to launch the fireworks display from the center of the lake. 
• Procuring a platform was not a financially viable option for this year; schedule was unaccommodating for the other options that we had also been pursuing.
• Without a platform and with several other unmitigated risks, this exposed the club to too much liability and therefore signing the fireworks contract at the required due date would not be a prudent decision.
• The Shore Club will not be hosting a fireworks display this year.
• The City is prepared to launch a smaller show from the existing fishing piers anchored at the park and will not be visible from most homes on the north-south leg of the lake.
• Possession and discharge of fireworks are still illegal activities within the City of SeaTac.

Please feel free to contact any board member to discuss your concerns; address your questions; to entertain your ideas and solutions; or collect your information as an interested volunteer to assist with the 2015 ALSC Fireworks Display.