Sunfish Club Threatened with Closure

Folks - Below is the text of an email that was forwarded to me concerning the Northshore Yacht Club in Highland Park, IL. Basically the club is being threatened with closure by the city without any help of finding a new location. NSYC has a growing Sunfish teaching and racing program. They have been around for many years. If anyone is able to help keep the club in business please feel free to contact the club's officers.

Gail, Leland, Keith, Heidi and Jason

As long time partners and supporters of each other we are sharing some very sad news. The City of Highland Park announced this week that it will be PERMANENTLY CLOSING off all Public Access to the Park Ave Boating Facility and South Beach. This action would permanently dislocate the North Shore Yacht Club and is to be effective May 31, 2015. Today the City of HP owns the land, leases it to the Park District, who in turn leases some of the property to the NSYC.

Essentially we have 6 weeks of life left at the NSYC as we know it today, devastating news! Boaters, fisherman, water lovers, members and residents are outraged at this short notice and the reason given is to provide greater security to the newly renovated Water Plant facility located on site. Ironically announced on 9/11, in poor taste. This was a mayoral decision that was NOT voted on by City Council and we are prepared to heavily protest this decision and need your HELP in spreading the word - quickly!

The NSYC has a 77 year history in Highland Park and the Park District owns the adjacent land just North of the existing site. The Park District is proposing a relocation to the North Beach which provides no launch protection, no sand ramp, no boat ramp launch, no facilities, no bathroom, no storage, limited parking, all with the City providing ridiculously short term notice. It is NOT our intention to fight city hall, rather reason and work together to accomplish three critical points of mutual agreement in the short term. These points are listed on the attached page.

What we need from you. . . Are you aware of any other clubs, or villages that have gone through this, located near a Water Plant and Homeland Security being the issue? I hear Wilmette did several years ago - what do you know? Spread the word, facebook, other sailing and kayak clubs on Lake Michigan. We need your support, expertise and muscle in spreading the word. The full story is found on our Facebook page - link below.

Thank you!

Liz Riesche
North Shore Yacht Club
Board of Directors, Executive Committee
Kayak Program Chair
https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Shore-Yacht-Club/316889349544?sk=manager
 
Yikes! I hate to see things like this... bureaucrats arbitrarily taking away something good just because they don't give a hoot. It's happening more and more these days, and we as a people need to put an end to it. Those stupid bureaucrats work for US don't they? This is America... not Russia.

I'm also a bit dismayed by the seeming apathy towards this event by the folks here at Sunfish Talk. This post has been up for a few days, and nobody has bothered to even lend a bit of moral support. As a community (IF we actually ARE a community and not just a group of self-centered individuals) we should realize that an injury to one part of our Sunfish Community is an injury to all of us.

I, for one, am not one to sit back and selfishly do nothing. I have written a letter to both the City and Parks folks, asking them to reconsider their actions.... citing the positive benefits of Sunfish Sailing, and how short-sighted their decision appears to be. Will it do any good? By itself, maybe or maybe not. BUT combined with dozens of other letters, it might have an impact.

So.... here's the deal: if you are here on this forum just for what you can get from it personally, and you don't care about other Sunfishers.... then do nothing. Then later when you ask for help, want us to admire your handiwork, or need a bit of advise about something, I'll think to myself "gee... that person did nothing to help a fellow Sunfisher when they really needed help...." and possibly decide to not help you. It's only fair, right?

BUT if you really aren't a selfish person, then it's time to step up to the plate and actually do something. I'd ask you to write a letter or an e-mail... or send a smoke signal... or chain yourself naked to the gates of the soon-to-be-closed park, AND post a note here expressing your support for the Club, and for ALL SUNFISHERS EVERYWHERE!

( ps- if you chain yourself naked to the gates, we really don't want to see pictures. the mental image of it just makes me shudder!)
 
Tag... GREAT! Now all we need are a bunch more folks like you! In addition to my letter.... I'm headed over to sign the petition right now.

OK... I'm back... and I just signed the petition. Maybe it will help.
 
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When I was growing up and learning to sail we had to pull Comets by hand uphill in the blazing sun 3 miles to an unpaved launch ramp. When we were done we had to pull them by hand uphill three miles home!
 
Unknown Master.... I certainly understand you on that one. We had to drag our boats some distance too. I can recall spending many an afternoon trying to wrestle a Flying Scott back up Mulholland Drive towards home. Boy. those were the good old days.

Unfortunately, due to heavy traffic, crazy drivers, unfriendly Highway Patrol Officers who get mad when you block traffic, and a host of other reasons.... it's no longer an option for most folks. Nowadays, facilities like the one in Highland Park are vital if we are going to maintain a new generation of sailors.
 

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