Station L Rowing Club

With the forecast showing slightly improved air quality, all club programs will run on Thursday August 16.  If you are sensitive to marginal air quality, use your own discretion

While some of our teammates are bound for Oakland, the rest of us are left to deal with the wildfire smoke which has intensified such that the Oregon area Air Quality Index has reached the “Unhealthy” level. With projections that it will continue to worsen through tomorrow morning, we have decided to cancel practice and Learn to Row classes for tomorrow (Wednesday, August 18th) and will keep an eye on conditions for Thursday, so enjoy some unscheduled shut-eye in the meantime.

Excuse me… pardon me…

HEADS UP! BOAT COMING THROUGH!

Hey, could you grab those oars? Carry these slings to the trailer…

Busier-than-usual morning at the boathouse today: advanced sweep practice, intermediate sculling, Learn to Scull, two classes of Learn to Row (Sweep) — and packing up most of our shells for the great trip south.

At this writing, the trailer and two of our coaches are nearing the California border, en route to Lake Merritt (Oakland) for the 2018 US Rowing Master’s Nationals.

Thursday through Sunday, a total of 35 Station L members will compete in 42 events, representing the 4th largest club not from California. Wish us clear air and flat water. Here we go…

Hi All,

The next LTR session starts next week and we need your help to fill coxswain seats! The classes continue in the mornings this session, 5:30am-7:15am.

Level 1, M/W, 5:30am-7:15am

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050e44aca92fa64-201816

Level 1, T/Th, 5:30am-7:15 am

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050e44aca92fa64-201817

Level 2, T/Th 5:30-7:15am, Sat 9-11am

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050e44aca92fa64-201818

Thanks a million!

Below is a note to the rowing community from Alan Stewart, the head of Vancouver Lake Crew regarding the future of Vancouver Lake.

There is a small group of us trying to save Vancouver Lake for future generations and continued recreational opportunities.  The lake is dying and going downhill very quickly.  This is a man made death due to the diking and infill of wetlands for industrial use, effectively blocking the flow of water from the Columbia River into the lake which historically flushed the lake during freshets.  Instead of the lake being flushed out regularly, it is now infilling and being polluted by local streams carrying fertilizers, chemicals, sedimentation, etc. Within the past 2 years, we have see an infestation of milfoil which is quickly choking out the lake. 

The Komen Row for the Cure which was scheduled for Saturday July 28, was cancelled due to a blue/green algae bloom.  Vancouver Lake Park, and the lake is one of the favorite rowing venues in the country due to easy access, a wonderful park with plenty of space, excellent viewing of the entire race course, an idyllic setting in the country while still being close in to the city with plenty of available hotels and restaurants.  We cannot afford to lose this asset. 

The options to save the lake are limited, and the first step in doing so is to make the current flushing channel actually do the job for which it was intended.  The first step in saving the lake would require widening the flushing channel to 1000 feet.  But before this can even be considered, a hydrodynamic study needs to be done to determine the effect of this proposal.  The immediate problem we face is that the Port of Vancouver intends to build a berm along the edge of the flushing channel as a sound barrier between future industrial development and lands immediately to the north (across from the park) that is now a bird sanctuary for Sandhill Cranes migrating from Alaska.  If time and monies are invested to build this berm, the chances of ever widening the flushing channel are nil to none.

The Port just released their SEPA comment period for their proposed sound proof berm just south of the Flushing Channel (and another project).  I’ve attached the link.  Comments are due by 5PM, August 02, 2018.       

https://www.portvanusa.com/environmental-services/sepa/

We need to respond to this proposal in mass.  I ask that this be sent to all the coaches in the northwest and that they send it to all their members, kids and parents alike and anyone remotely connected to rowing in or out of the region so that they can respond to the request for comments.  We need as many individual responses as humanly possible sent to the Port of Vancouver.  A sample letter is linked here

It is imperative that they get comments back to the Port by August 1^st.  The deadline is August 2^nd, but that is the day of their hearing on this matter.  Also, please copy all of the government officials at the bottom of the sample letter.

Thanks very much,

Alan

Due to the presence of blue green algae in Vancouver Lake, the 2018 Row for the Cure has been rescheduled for October 6.

Below is an excerpt from the press release by Komen:

Updated:  Portland, Ore. – July 24, 2018 (12:29 pm)

Susan G. Komen Oregon and SW Washington was made aware of a toxic blue green algae at Vancouver Lake yesterday afternoon by the Clark County Public Health Department and an advisory has been posted at the lake https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/vancouver/algae-advisory-issued-for-vancouver-lake/283-577031461, the  location for this Saturday’s 25th Anniversary Row for the Cure event.

Ann Berryman, Komen Director of Development and Communications stated, the health and well-being of our participants is of the utmost importance to us, and a collective decision has been made to move event to October 6, 2018.  We look forward to celebrating the long, rich history of this event and the $522,000 raised for breast health education, breast cancer screening/mammograms/diagnostic tests, financial assistance to access treatment and local research.”

Our annual trip to the Cascadia Masters Championships in Delta, BC gave us tons of rowing (46 events), held in great weather and with typical Canadian hospitality.

Our results were pretty impressive–they are linked below.  Of special note, we had:

•15 gold medals in our 46 events.  That’s a heck of a ratio,

•1, 2 finishes in the Women’s B 4x, Men’s E 2x, Women’s C 4x,

•A near sweep (haha) of the 8+’s races, with 1st in the Women’s and Mixed 8+’s, and a 2nd in the Men’s 8+.

•Showed our depth in the 4x races, winning five different quad events–including the women’s B, C and D 4x.

•Had members race a 1x for the first time, race a sculling race for the first time, make a sculling final for the first time.

•Every rower on the trip won at least one medal.

Thanks to Brad, Penny, Brandy and everyone who helped out.  We got many compliments from regatta organizers for our efficiency on the dock, good sportsmanship and team enthusiasm.   Looking forward to next year.

link to STL specific medalists

link to full results

A few schedule related announcements. . .

•This Sunday sculling practice will begin at 6am.   Better water, lower temperature, and time to watch the World Cup soccer final.  A bonus–members are welcome to watch the game at Peter’s house.   He’s serving blueberry french toast casserole with bacon, fruit and coffee.   Email him if you need the address.  Game time is 8am.  France vs. Croatia (fun fact–Croatia’s population is equal to that of Oregon).

•During the remainder of the summer regatta season, we plan to run all Saturday and Sunday coached sessions as scheduled.  If we need to make a cancellation, we will announce it specifically.

The deadline to sign up for Row for the Cure and Green Lake has been extended from today until Monday July 2.   Please sign up if you want to participate.  For Green Lake, numbers need to be  larger if we are going to make the trip. . . .   Use our sign up page

On Wednesday July 4, all 5am rowing is replaced with a 7am Open Row.   Regular schedule July 5 (or as we call it, the worst get up early day of the summer).  No LTR classes on July 4.