Please see the emails from Richard regarding Trout Lake - --it would be
great to have a consensus from the board that we would like to write the
letter. Please let me know your thoughts. Then, if everyone agrees,
would anyone like to draft a letter -- - someone who knows the area
well? Sheryl? Thanks.
Debbie
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Richard Gray <grayro@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 9:37 AM
Subject: Trout Lake and ASU student athletes
To: Debbie Shetterly <dshett37@xxxxxxxxx>, McGrane, Guy <
badgerboy@xxxxxxxxxx>, Martha Cutler <cutford@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Steve Dowlan <
owlhooter@xxxxxxx>, Bob Cherry <bcherry001@xxxxxxxxx>
Hi All,
I am attaching a series of recent emails to Doug Gillin, Director of
Athletics at ASU and Damion McLean, Director of Track and Field, about an
incident at Trout Lake this Sunday concerning student athletes and their
coach on that day. I expect that many if not all of you have experienced
both at Trout Lake and at Brookshire Park large groups of student athletes
running on the trails. In my experience they are inconsiderate of the
public and expect other users of the trails to take evasive action. Of
course, after a large group of students pass by, the birds have scattered,
a photograph is ruined, etc. I received a cordial reply from Doug Gillin (
gillindp@xxxxxxxxxxxx) and have spoken by phone to Damion McClean (
mcleandm@xxxxxxxxxxxx), who is director of track and field. I believe they
understand that the rude and arrogant behavior by these students is getting
intolerable. I have also indicated to them that they run the risk of legal
liability if their students surprise an elderly or disabled person on the
trail who is unable to take evasive action and who falls or is injured as a
result.
I have suggested to them that they find a local landowner who would permit
them to run on their land, perhaps for a modest fee each season instead of
essentially commandeering local natural spots such as Trout Lake
I believe a polite but forceful letter from the Audubon board to both Doug
Gillin and Damion McClean at this point would have a good effect. If you
wish, I would be willing to help draft the letter, but perhaps one
detailing your own experiences would at this point be more effective, as
they have already heard a lot from me.
Best wishes, Richard
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Director Gillin,
This morning (Sunday, Sept 12), I had a very unpleasant encounter with ASU
student athletes and their coach, Mr. Michael Curcio at Trout Lake on the
Blue Ridge Parkway. While hiking around Trout Lake I encountered two
groups of about 20 student athletes, one group of young men, the other
young women. They did not slow down when they encountered me or anyone
else on the trail – they expected us to take evasive action. Some made
rude comments when passing. This is not the first time that my walk at
Trout Lake has been disturbed by student athletes. I consider this an
inappropriate use of Trout Lake, a natural area which the public uses for
hikes, recreation, and nature study. After two such encounters with
student athletes on the trail this morning, I spoke with several people
using the trail and they, to a person, expressed their displeasure at this
use of Trout Lake. Appalachian State University has tracks on campus;
there is no need to commandeer public places for that purpose. I am aware
that you have permission from the Parkway, but I wonder if they know the
size of the groups being put on these trails every Sunday morning? I
counted 40 students. The trails at Trout Lake can be narrow at places and
have blind corners. I fear that someday an elderly person will be unable
to take quick enough evasive action when a crowd of 20 students comes
barreling around the corner.
I met Coach Michael Curcio on the trail and began to detail my complaint to
him in a polite and rational manner. He immediately began to shout at me
at the top of his voice. He was rude and arrogant and would not listen to
my argument. Later, when driving through the Trout Lake parking lot, I saw
him and stopped my car and tried once again to engage him in rational
conversation. His reaction was again to immediately begin shouting at me. He
came very close to me shouting at the top of his voice. I asked him to
move back and keep a distance as neither of us were wearing masks. He then
started a tirade about masking and how it was permitted to be on Federal
property without masks. While he did not threaten me physically, I was
concerned for my safety. I stopped the conversation and drove away.
As a long-standing member of the faculty at ASU I am appalled by Mr.
Curcio’s rude and arrogant response to the concerns of a member of the
general public. I am embarrassed that this man is representing our
University and am concerned that he is conveying this rude and arrogant
attitude to our student athletes. What a poor role model and what a poor
mentor for our students! I strongly suggest that this person be removed
from any position where he might encounter a member of the public. And I
strongly urge you to reconsider this inappropriate use of Trout Lake as an
ASU track. I shall be writing to the Parkway administration about this
appalling experience.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Richard Gray
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And an email this morning to Damion McLean as followup to our phone
conversation:
Hi Damion,
It was nice speaking to you this morning, and I hope that an amicable
solution can be found for all concerned.
One point that I forgot to emphasize in our conversation was one of
safety. I am very worried that an elderly or disabled person will, some
day, not be able to take quick enough evasive action to get out of the path
of your students. If the encounter is on one of the blind corners on the
Trout Lake trails, the encounter might be tragic. Cell phone coverage at
Trout Lake is spotty, and it may not be easy to get an ambulance into some
areas. So, you need also weigh the safety aspects of having numbers of
student athletes running in public places on narrow trails.
If you can find a landowner who is willing to let your students run on
his/her property that would be a solution to all of these problems.
Best wishes, Richard
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and my reply to Doug Gillin:
Dear Doug,
Thank you for your kind and understanding reply. I have since had a good
conversation with Damion McLean during which we covered all aspects of this
situation. As you know from my letter, I am concerned on a number of
levels about ASU athletes using public spaces in this way. I have
recommended to Damion that Athletics should find a local landowner who
would be willing to let your students train on their land. An athletic fan
might even allow you to do it for free, although a few hundred dollars or
so per season would be well worth the money. You then would no longer have
the conflict with the public, the disturbance of a natural area, and
concerns over injury and liability would be minimized or eliminated.
Best wishes, Richard Gray
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Dr. Richard O. Gray
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
office: 828-262-2430
