News came from the Clark County Board of County Commissioners today that I was among the group appointed to the Sandy Valley Citizens Advisory Council at their meeting on Monday.

The opportunity to take my turn serving the community and giving something back is welcomed. Next week at our first meeting one of the issues that will be raised is the upcoming hearing (PDF) where the Sandy Valley Motor Cross track in San Bernardino County California, will be applying for changes to their use permit in order to change the number of spectators allowed, permit the use of lights and change the permitted operating hours. The hearing has been continued for a date on February 10.

This would likely not be a big issue at all. However, there is of course history. When the permits were granted they limited several factors related to the track. By the summer of 2004 the proprietor of the track had laid aside many of the provisions and operated outside the permitted hours, ran lights late into the night and ran afoul of the local community. Of course they did not run afoul of all of the community, but to some who took offense at the light pollution created by the track and raised other issues. By the end of the summer the lights were off, days were limited to the permitted days and the war of words was begun. The Sagebrush (now renamed the Sandy Valley News) had a series of letters to the editor. Pro and con the various sides weighed in. Read more about Sandy Valley Citizens Advisory Council