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| Written by PI Web | |
| Saturday, 12 January 2008 | |
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Bike tour through canyon calls for teamwork Del Puerto Canyon residents’ furor about the upcoming Amgen Tour of California can be heard all the way in Patterson these days, despite their remote homestead. Residents, in the past month, have voiced worries about trash, road closures and liability problems resulting from the race. Much of the frustration seem to stem from past problems with a handful of rude bicyclists who ride through the canyon and in the San Antonio Valley. In addition, residents contend with “flatlanders” from the Central Valley and the Bay Area who trespass, set fires and maintain illegal drug operations in their backyards, so it is understandable that they would be a bit gun-shy regarding the upcoming tournament. The Amgen Tour of California drew more than 1 million spectators last year, and some of those fans will likely line up along the narrow, winding Del Puerto Canyon Road to get a peek at the action next month. Still, the Tour has traveled through lots of remote areas in California during the past few years, and there have been no reports that they have suffered major negative impacts as a result. Amgen officials and county representatives have expressed a willingness to work with canyon residents and to keep them informed, and placing the tour in the canyon shows recognition of the area’s pristine nature. Perhaps canyon residents should see the Tour as an honor, not a curse. Dialogue is imperative as organizers gear up for the race, and it is heartening to see that some talks have begun between Amgen officials and canyon residents. Organizers also need to be meticulous about explaining what the race will mean for canyon residents. We hope the doubts and goals of all parties involved will be shared respectfully during a forum Wednesday at Mount Hamilton’s Smith Creek Cal Fire Station. Perhaps organizers or neighboring bicycle groups can host a trash pickup day or make some other effort to help out canyon residents. There might not be too many people living in the hills west of Patterson, but race organizers must respect their rights — even as canyon residents need to respect the rights of people who legally travel through the area for personal enjoyment. Jonathan Partridge, Editor Ron Swift, Publisher Emeritus The Patterson Irrigator, established in 1911, is mailed Wednesday and Saturday. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board. Other items reflect the opinions of the individual writers.
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