Page 7 - MIN ECEM 24 DEC 2016

A14 LOCAL
Saturday 24 december 2016

Loyal Readers From Utah Meet Their “Favorite Aruban Author”

EAGLE BEACH - Lynn and Les is a remarkable person.
Les Long come to Aruba He is a retired US Air Force
fairly regularly (dozens of fighter pilot (Lt. Colonel)
times in the last eight years) and an active Porsche pi-
where Les kitesurfs to his lot. In 1996 he established
heart’s delight. When they the Air Power Racing Com-
were here in August Lynn pany in his home state
was fascinated by the first Utah as an independent
chapter of Clyde Harms’ Porsche service, repair and
“An Aruban in Libya” se- race prep facility to sup-
ries of weekly articles that port his racing habit. For his
had just started to appear work, Les travels a great all
in Aruba Today. She wrote over the country, but for
some comments to the au- vacation he only comes
thor and subscribed to the to Aruba. A man’s success
series so she could receive depends on the woman
them after they had re- he chooses to have in his
turned to Utah. After every life, and here too, Les has
chapter Lynn would send Under a painting of Peru’s iconic Machu Picchu, Les and Lynn Long from Utah met their “favorite been extremely successful.
her reactions (occasionally Aruban author” Clyde Harms and his wife Milagro in the newly opened Asies mi Perú restaurant. Les is the first to concur that
Les also) and so a virtual his wife Lynn has been the
friendship blossomed be- author and readers would and his wife Milagro for din- owner of the restaurant key factor in his reaching
tween the Longs and the meet in person. This week ner at the recently opened and a very close friend his goals in life, as a military
author Clyde Harms. the Longs returned to Aru- Asies mi Perú Restaurant in of Clyde’s gave the loyal person and as an entrepre-
Four months, 17 chapters ba and they invited their the Paradise Hotel at Eagle readers from Salt Lake City neur. As the administrator
and dozens of emails later, “favorite Aruban author” Beach. Jan van Nes, the a VIP evening. As both of Air Power Racing, Lynn
Lynn and Les speak some not only handles the books,
Spanish, they were happy but also takes care of the
to sharpen their knowledge logistics when their drivers
speaking with Milagro are competing. This en-
whose native language is tails booking airplane pas-
Spanish. They found that sages, transportation, hotel
Milagro’s clear enunciation reservations, publicity, etc.
of the words made it much etc. I never imagined that
easier for them to under- there was so much logis-
stand her. Quite different tics to take care of when a
from the “the beach ver- team of cars and their driv-
nacular he hears from his ers must move from A to B.
buddies”.Les and Clyde, Not to be outdone by Les,
it turned out, had much in Lynn’s sports are skiing
common as to places they and scuba diving. Earlier
had visited, but most of the this month she spent two
conversation was about weeks diving in the waters
kitesurfing in Aruba as this of Cebu, in the Philippines,
has been what has attract- where she once swam with
ed the Longs to our island. whale sharks. Next week
In fact, Les fell in love with Lynn will be skiing in the
the sport when he saw the mountains of Utah where
kitesurfers at the beach the Longs recently ac-
next to the Marriott. Clyde quired a lodge.
thought that it was fitting Lynn and Les looks for-
that Les would start kitesurf- ward to be the first ones
ing on a Dutch island since to own a copy of the soon
it is a Dutchman, Gijsbertus to be launched book “An
Adrianus Panhuise, who is Aruba in Libya” written by
considered the originator their “favorite Aruban au-
of the sport. thor” and published for the
It is remarkable that Les benefit of the Queen Wil-
started kitesurfing (con- helmina Cancer Founda-
sidered a young person’s tion. clydeharms@yahoo.
sport), at the age of 53. But comq