Lake Havasu Arizona Report

John Guthrie Honored By Lake Havsu Marine Association As Agency Manager Of The Year

Lake Havasu Marine Association, President and CEO, Jim Salscheider
(928) 208-2442
jims@lhmarineassn.com
www.lhmarineassn.com

Lake Havasu City, AZ: The annual awards ceremony took center stage at the quarterly general membership meeting of the Lake Havasu Marine Association (LHMA), honoring significant contributions and service to the local recreational boating community. One of the most coveted awards of the evening went to John Guthrie, Park Manager, Lake Havasu State Park named 2012 Agency Manager of the Year. Guthrie took over Lake Havasu State Park operations eighteen months ago after serving for more than ten years as a Park Ranger at Buckskin Mountain State Park on the Parker Strip.

“John made an immediate positive impact upon his arrival at Lake Havasu State Park,” said Jim Salscheider, LHMA president and CEO. “It was evident right from the outset that he was genuinely interested in working with the local community to find ways to enhance the State Park experience for all visitors. He quickly became a valuable ally to our Marine Association, assisting and actively participating in a number of our projects for the betterment of Lake Havasu recreational boaters. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

Upon receiving the award, Guthrie commented, “I sincerely appreciate this award and I accept it on behalf of my entire staff and the office of Arizona State Parks. The operation of Lake Havasu State Park is a big responsibility because it accommodates such a large volume of annual visitors generating a significant revenue stream for our Arizona State Parks system. We recognize the importance of this park and will continue to do everything possible to improve the infrastructure and service of this unique property for our many visitors in the years ahead.

Lake Havasu State Park is a diverse recreational facility encompassing a total of 928 acres with camping and RV sites, picnic and shelter areas, beaches, hiking trails, three major boat launch ramps, courtesy docks, showers, restrooms, visitors center, dump and fish cleaning stations, swimming areas, wildlife viewing, special events area and more. In 2011, Lake Havasu State Park hosted more than 351,000 annual visitors and over 75,000 boat launches, making it the most active recreational boating venue in the State of Arizona.

Summers Almost Gone
It's Time for Monster Bash!!!

What's New?

Happy September from all of us at LakeRacer, we hope you had a great summer it’s just now started to cool a bit from our overheated summer weather here in Phoenix. My walk in to work this morning was just gorgeous. JerryTaylor and I have completed the DS2011 Photo & Video DVD's and I'm getting them copied and mailed! Look for yours Soon! Click here to see the 2011 Teaser

Even with the cancellation of the Shootout, this years Desert Storm was still deemed a wild success by all who attended. Having started with the Oregon Custom Marine Open house on Wednesday, Putin on the Wish on Wednesday, Street Party on Thursday and Poker Run and Village Party on Friday, the cancelled Shootout on Saturday enabled many exhausted folks to head home early. The rest of us took advantage of the protected Colorado River for runs to Pirate Cove for a great day of fun boating, then finished up with the awards banquet Saturday night. Through out the event we raised a significant amount of money for our charities, Make A Wish Foundation, Soldiers Angels, Wounded Warriors and Havasu For Youth. Two magazines covered the event pretty well, check out the coverage in Powerboat’s July Issue and Performance Boat's June issue.

Some of you may know our great friend Tank Sears, he has been a lot of help over the years by promoting the Desert Storm event in online forums and thru his connection with Powerboat Magazine. Check out the attachment at the end of this newsletter to get his first hand account of the 2011 Event.

Desert Storm 2012 Dates - 4/25 thru 28/2012

Summer Boating

After our Desert Storm event, I had to dive right back into my work at Honeywell, finishing several long term projects, one which allowed Claudia and I to spend July 2011 in the Puget Sound area. I was to provide technical training to the maintenance department of the Kimberly Clark Paper Mill in Everett Washington, an eight week project. From a personal prospective, this was an opportunity of a lifetime for us desert dwellers to explore the Puget Sound waters from our Warlock 32 Euro. We really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful islands and wildlife, plus met many very friendly people though our boating ambassador "Sasha" our Siberian Husky.

We need to send out a big thank you to Teague Custom Marine, Barrett Custom Marine and Domn8ter Boats for helping us prepare our boat and trailer for the long tow and extended hours on the boat. For once we had zero problems with the boat engines!!!

We also want to extend our hearty congratulations to Gary Smith, Chip Romer, Kelly Kraise, and Ted Verdone for doing such a great job and representing us southwestern boaters at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in August. They ran up some very impressive speeds and some even took First Place in their classes. Check out the results!

Monster Bash Poker Run

With the summer ending and fall around the corner our Monster Bash event is rapidly approaching. Claudia and I have been busy working on it as we can't belive how fast it's coming up!

The Monster Bash Poker Run has been a great event and a major fun time for the last two years and I hope everyone will come back this year. If you want to come out, please register in advance to help me control the costs and insure our ability to do it again! We are debating on including the Monster Bash Shootout again this year, but so far no one has signed up for it, so that may make my decision very easy, if you want to run it, I need to know now! Don't forget to reserve your rooms at the Nautical Resort.

Since I’m a bit late in sending out my newsletters and the early registration discount has already expired. I will offer the discount for another week to everyone receiving this newsletter. Please enter the discount coupon code “pokerrun22” for the $25.00 discount. Don’t forget to include the Thursday night open house at West Coast Drives and the Friday Lunch Run to Havasu Springs in your planning. The Saturday Costume Party is a blast and everyone dresses up, so get your thinking cap on, we want some great costumes!!! Please see the top of this newsletter for links to the online registration and event information.

Check out the Monster Bash Sponsors and thank them for supporting our event!!

Hope to see you all soon!!
Jim Nichols 602)578-5975
jimn@lakeracerllc.com
http://www.lakeracerllc.com

London Bridge Goes Green
Zombies Prowl In Lake Havasu This Fall
40th Anniversary London Bridge Rededication is Oct. 14

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Sept. 22, 2011) - This fall there are many reasons to make the trip to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in this scenic corner of the American southwest. The latest movie to film in town is hosting a premiere, the city's iconic London Bridge is getting gussied up, and locals are covered in blood and limping down the streets. But wait, it's not as bad as it sounds. Read on.

London Bridge

30 Years of Jet Skis - The International Jet Sports Boating Association will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its world finals from Oct. 1 to 9. The 2011 Quakysense World Finals are the largest PWC (personal watercraft) specific event in North America where the best racers from around the globe converge to compete in the World Championships. The event is headquartered at Crazy Horse Campgrounds and Resort in Lake Havasu City and draws 10,000 to 15,000 spectators every year. Seven hundred entries from 40 states and 36 countries will compete to determine who's the best of the best in many classes, from the most high tech and modern craft to vintage waterskis. (www.ijsba.com)

London Bridge Makeover - The historic London Bridge, relocated to Lake Havasu City and dedicated into service 40 years ago this October, is receiving a major dose of modern technology. The compact fluorescent lights (CFL) on the span, already energy efficient, were recently replaced with even more energy-saving LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps - 660 in all. Each is a white-yellowish tint reminiscent of the gaslights that once lit this London thoroughfare. The LEDs use 50 percent less energy to generate the same amount of light, and last longer than the compact fluorescent lamps used since 2004.

A rededication ceremony attended by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will be held at the bridge on October 14. Just in time for Halloween: the rededication will display a dozen replica heads of the criminals and pirates who ran afoul of the law when the bridge spanned the River Thames. (www.golakehavasu.com)

Zombies on the Move - The dead shall rise to squeak and gibber their way through the streets of Lake Havasu City at the first ever Havasu Zombie Pub Crawl on Oct. 14. Attendees will dress in their zompacalypse-best and tour local watering holes until their terrifying thirst is quenched. The crawl starts at 5 p.m. at various establishments throughout downtown McCulloch Blvd. (www.facebook.com/havasuzombiepubcrawl)

Hot Rods Heat Up the Desert - The 34th annual Relics & Rods Run to the Sun car show, cruise and gearhead gathering for autos circa 1972 and older is Oct. 19 through 23, 2011. The Run to the Sun is a fundraising event held every year by the Relics & Rods Car Club with all proceeds benefiting local charities. A car show, cruises, sock hop, a Poker Run, swap meet, fashion show, parties, prizes and vendors selling auto accessories will all be a part of the five-day celebration of the American automobile. This year, keep an eye out for Jack MacNeill and his red '72 Ford Torino, Tom and Jonny Mays' 1934 Ford 2-door sedan, and Mike White's 1931 Ford Coupe.

Automotive expert Alan Taylor of Motor Trend Radio, will broadcast live from the event. Tickets for Relics & Rods are $75 before Oct. 1, and $85 thereafter. (www.relicsandrods.com)

Roll Out The Red Carpet - On Oct. 1, Lake Havasu City will host the premiere of A Warm Wind, a movie about a soldier who has returned from Iraq injured in more ways than one to a family who may not know how to cope. The 93-min. film was shot entirely on location in Lake Havasu City and the lake itself is the setting for several powerful scenes.

The premiere will be attended by cast members and writer/director Jeff London, and will benefit the Arizona chapter of Blue Star Mothers. Guest actor Kevyn Major Howard, best known for his appearance in Full Metal Jacket (1987), will make a special appearance and display one of his show cars in front of the theatre. First showing is sold out, but tickets are still available for the second showing at 6:30 p.m. Ultrastar Lake Havasu 10, 5601 Highway 95, Lake Havasu City. Tickets $8. (www.warmwindmovie.com, www.bluestarmothers.org).

About Lake Havasu City

Lake Havasu City, three hours driving time from Phoenix, 2-1/4 hours south of Las Vegas and four to five from the Los Angeles region, attracts 750,000 visitors a year thanks to its dry, desert weather, more than 300 sunny days a year, a range of restaurants and lodging, and a boatload of special events.

For more information on Lake Havasu City, Arizona's only waterfront resort destination, including a 2011 calendar of events, log onto golakehavasu.com or call 928 453 3444. Also find Lake Havasu on-line at facebook.com/lakehavasucityarizona and twitter.com/golakehavasu. Editor's note: Photos of dozens of images of local recreational activities, restaurants, lodging and scenery are available upon request.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer will attend a rededication of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City on Oct. 14.

Lake Havasu Is Ready For Its Close-up
A Magician and Man-Eating Piranhas Come to Region
Made Famous by London Bridge

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Aug. 12, 2010) - Lake Havasu City, the desert resort town made famous when the historic London Bridge was relocated there in 1971, will enjoy a new burst of fame this month thanks to a magician and man-eating piranhas.

Performance artist and magician Criss Angel, known as the "Mindfreak," recreates Harry Houdini's bridge jump escape trick by dangling off the famed bridge in a primetime show on the A & E Network on Aug. 18 (10 p.m. ET/PT).

Supervising producer Pete Hurtgen tells the local newspaper, Today's News-Herald, "You guys have a beautiful, fun and friendly city and we are happy to show it off."

Now about those piranhas ... One of the worst kept secrets in the southwest is that the 45-mile long Lake Havasu is a stand-in for fictitious Lake Victoria, scene of assorted mayhem in the new horror flick, Piranha 3D which premieres nationwide on August 20. The film stars Elisabeth Shue, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, and former Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss.

"While being known for man-eating Hollywood piranhas isn't exactly a dream-come-true for the image of a tourist lake, the production brought $18 million to the community during filming last summer, and is creating huge excitement among locals, many of whom were hired to portray victims of the computer-generated razor-toothed fish," said Douglas Traub, president and CEO of the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Anyone smart enough to locate Lake Havasu City out here in the desert will know it's all make-believe."

Traub continues, "We hope moviegoers will see our magnificent desert scenery in the background and decide to make Lake Havasu City and the London Bridge a must-see stop during their next southwest vacation."

Watch the film's trailer here: http://piranha-3d.com/

Lake Havasu City, three hours driving time from Phoenix, 2-1/4 hours south of Las Vegas and four to five from the Los Angeles region, attracts 2.5 million visitors a year thanks to its dry, desert weather, more than 300 sunny days a year, a range of restaurants and lodging, and a boatload of special events.

For more information on Lake Havasu City, Arizona's only waterfront resort destination, including a fall 2010 calendar of events, log onto www.golakehavasu.com or call 928 453 3444. Also find Lake Havasu on-line at http://www.facebook.com/lakehavasucityarizona and www.twitter.com/golakehavasu.

Arizona’s Lake Havasu And Famed London Bridge Host A Boatload Of Events This Fall

Contact
Tyler Jacobson, tyler@golakehavasu.com, 928 453 3444 Lake Havasu CVB

Jeff Blumenfeld, jeff@blumenfeldpr.com, 203 655 1600 Blumenfeld and Assoc. PR

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (July 29, 2010) – When the famed London Bridge was relocated stone-by-stone to Arizona’s Lake Havasu in 1971, it was such an audacious feat of engineering, it made news around the world.

The bridge, including bullet holes from a WWII strafing by German aircraft, is still making news. Around the stone structure has grown a lively city of 50,000, lured by 45-mile-long Lake Havasu, one of the southwest’s most famous centers for recreational boating.

Lake Havasu City, three hours driving time from Phoenix, 2-1/4 hours south of Las Vegas and four to five from the Los Angeles region, attracts 2.5 million visitors a year thanks to its dry, desert weather, more than 300 sunny days a year, a range of restaurants and lodging, and a boatload of special events such as:

• Patriot Days – Fly-in at the Lake 2010, Sept. 25 and 26 – One would be hard-pressed to find a city more patriotic than Lake Havasu. For two days, locals and visitors alike will enjoy a static air display of military aircraft (including the historic B-25), USO style shows, and an appearance by the Traveling Vietnam Wall which is 80 percent the size of the original in Washington, D.C. www.havasuaircenter.com.

• Personal Watercraft Races: 2010 World Finals, Oct. 3 - 10 – Lake Havasu is considered the Personal Watercraft Capital of the World, and it’s easy to see why. The World Finals is the most venerable and prestigious personal watercraft event in the world. An invitation-only policy attracts over 750 of the world’s best personal watercraft racers from 36 countries, offering the sport’s top prize. www.ijsba.com.

• 2nd Annual Paddle to the Channel Stand Up Paddleboard Championships, Oct. 9 – Ever see a water enthusiast paddle serenely while standing on what looks like a surfboard? It’s called stand up paddling (SUP) and is considered one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. Whether it is or not, 200 of the best in the world will descend on Lake Havasu for a series of competitions. www.wsupa.us.

• 39th Annual London Bridge Days Parade, Oct. 16 – In a city with a calendar loaded with special events, this is Havasu’s largest parade of the year with over 100 different entries, from drill teams, equestrians, and marching bands, to a group called the Havasu Stitchers (www.havasustitchers.com) who, well, spend their free time stitching quilts and parading a Quilted Truck. Over 5,000 spectators line the route. The theme this year, “Honoring Our Havasu Heroes,” will recognize locals who served in the Armed Forces. www.golakehavasu.com.

• 33rd Annual Relics and Rods Run to the Sun, Oct. 20-24 – Pre-1972 cars and trucks will be on display along with a huge Uptown Cruise Night, Sock Hop, Car Corral and Swap Meet, and Route 66-themed fashion show. Hundreds of cars and thousands of spectators are expected. www.relicsandrods.com.

• 24th Annual London Bridge Seaplane Classic, Nov. 5-7 – These are classic vintage seaplanes, except you’d have to be a desert mouse to ride in one since they’re all small scale radio controlled models. Organizers call it the “Southwest’s premier radio controlled float fly event.” www.deserthawksrc.com.

• 28th Annual Boat Parade of Lights, Dec. 3-4 – Sure other cities have boat parades, but none that surround one of London’s most famous bridges. This year’s theme is “Toys on Parade.” The parade is considered one of the Top 100 events in the U.S. by the American Bus Association www.buses.org. www.lhcboatparadeoflights.com.

For more information on Lake Havasu City, Arizona’s only waterfront resort destination, including a fall 2010 calendar of events, log onto www.golakehavasu.com or call
928 453 3444.

Also find Lake Havasu on-line at http://www.facebook.com/lakehavasucityarizona and www.twitter.com/golakehavasu.

Permit Needed For Buoys On Lake Havasu

The Bureau of Land Management is making its presence known on the Lake again — this time possibly causing delays with 18 U.S. Coast Guard-approved safety buoys.

The Lake Havasu Marine Association applied, and received, Coast Guard approval for the safety buoys to be placed over hazards near the California side of the Lake, but BLM representatives say the organization must approve the buoys as well. The announcement came after a meeting with Coast Guard, Marine Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM representatives earlier this week.

“We were upset about that and we wonder why, if it’s in the interest of public safety, that this can’t be moved along quicker in some way,” said Marine Association Executive Director Jim Salscheider. “(The BLM’s) agenda, whatever that may be, seems more important than public safety.”

BLM Lake Havasu Assistant Field Manager Mike Henderson said because the buoys would be placed in the organization’s jurisdiction, placement would require a BLM permit and an environmental review.

“It’s going to be a land-use permit and it has to go through the same process of a right-of-way or lease (the marine association) will have to apply for,” Henderson said, adding that the environmental review process could move faster because of other environmental assessments performed on the Lake previously. “It’s still going to be several months from the time we get it, and we haven’t received anything yet.”

Henderson said the BLM could possibly approve the application sooner if safety concerns are evident, but added the marine association would be required to make a case in the application.

“BLM is concerned with the hazards on the other side of the Lake too,” Henderson said. “We’re going to do whatever is necessary to make sure hazard areas are identified in the future.”

Salscheider said approval from the Coast Guard took roughly six weeks and the process was sped up because of public safety concerns.

“With the Coast Guard, when we applied, they told us a commanding officer could simply note the safety concern and approve the application on the spot,” Salscheider said. “Why wouldn’t the BLM have the same provision? We hope and expect they’ll expedite this for public safety.”

The marine association held a fund-raising event in November 2009, and after raising enough money for the buoys, received support from San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Rod Hoops, Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan and Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Chairman Charles Wood.

“Despite that fact and despite the fact that the marine association is paying for them, installing them and maintaining them, the BLM is insisting that we file for a permit for their anchors,” Salscheider wrote in an email. “There is also a fee attached for the permit and possibly an ongoing annual fee as well.”

BLM representatives announced in June that the organization is currently administering an environmental assessment on the Lake to determine Special Recreation Permit Regulations and possible fees for “nearly every boating activity on the Lake.” The organization also performed an environmental assessment for shoreline and on-the-water vendors on the Lake earlier this year.

Lands and waters at the 450-foot Lake elevation and below are Bureau of Reclamation withdrawn lands, Henderson said previously. “These lands (and waters) are managed by the BLM under Secretarial Order No. 2915 that states, ‘the purpose of this Order is to assign to the BLM full responsibility for the implementation of the Plan (Lower Colorado River Land Use Plan, 1964), including; negotiation, execution, and administration of leases; the administration of Reclamation lands used or to be used for recreation or wildlife activities; administration of the special permit program on the lands; and for coordination with plans, programs, or activities of bureaus and offices that relate to or affect the Plan.’”

BLM representatives previously indicated that enforcement began in July 2009 when city officials asked for assistance in the removal of all shoreline and floating vendors from Rotary Community Park and London Bridge beaches. But Field Manager Ramone McCoy said those events only “sped up the process.”

Salscheider said he didn’t anticipate any of the actions taken by the BLM following the removal of the vendors.

Salscheider added that one of his major concerns is safety, closely followed by the impact on tourism.

“There is nothing on record that formally says how many incidences there are near those dangerous areas, but any boater that’s been on this Lake for a considerable amount of time has seen it or done it,” he said. “If you’re a first time boater and there’s nothing warning you that this could happen and you damage your boat like that, what if you don’t come back because of it?”

San Diego Coast Guard Officer in Charge of Aides to Navigation Mike Tapp, who assisted in the Coast Guard permitting process for the buoys, said it’s not uncommon for more than one agency to be involved in granting permits.

“In our opinion the marine association is very well suited to maintain the program they’ve initiated and it’s a worthwhile program because it addresses those safety issues,” Tapp said. “It’s not necessarily typical for other organizations to require approval on a Lake but it’s not atypical either that another organization would have other requirements. … But from the Coast Guard’s perspective, there is a maritime safety aspect and we think it would increase safety on the Lake.”

You can contact the reporter at
Nathan Bruttell
Impruvit Consulting
PO Box 118
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405
(928) 453-3232
Fax: (928) 505-8012
www.impruvit.com

Beer & Brats Party

Sonsored by Romer Beverage
Come on Down and Toast The New Docks With A Bud Light?

Jim Salscheider
Executive Director
928-208-2442
jims@lhcma.com
www.lhcma.com/

Jim. As the sponsor of this page you could update it regularly with events, stories or ? It would appear on the Destination Reports on our Web site Arizona Boating & Watersports and on each of the weekly versions of our E-mail newsletter Dinghy Digest.







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