| Reminders that drivers can be intolerant of cyclists
When I heard the report on CNN a week ago, my worst fear about bicycling on roads was confirmed: The anger of some motorists toward cyclists goes beyond the inconvenience of sharing pavement. In Arizona, a judge sentenced 27-year-old Melissa Arrington to more than 10 years, actually one shy of the maximum, for negligent homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI for running into and killing cyclist Paul L'Ecuyer on Dec. 1, 2006. While the minimum sentence is four years, the judge's decision to give her a harsher penalty was due to a telephone conversation she had with a male friend that was taped one week after the accident. During the conversation, the man told Arrington that an acquaintance believed she should get a medal and a parade because she had "taken out" a "tree hugger, a bicyclist, a Frenchman and a gay guy all in one shot." Instead of showing remorse, Arrington laughed.
Kleinhans out as AD in Odem
Odem went 6-4 last season, but a 2-4 finish in District 31-2A kept the Owls out of the playoffs for the second straight year. Increased pressure from the community forced Parker to make a decision. "He's been an excellent coach, but you know how it gets when you're not winning and the community starts complaining that a change is needed," Parker said. "I kind of held off, hoping some of the talk would die down, but it didn't. We figured it would be a good time to do it. It's not a real pleasant thing to do, especially when you like somebody, but sometimes the community speaks louder." Parker said Kleinhans is likely to be reassigned within the athletic department and will remain at the school until his contract expires at the end of the school year. Kleinhans plans to continue his duties for now, but not all of them.
Discover Portsmouth's best kept secret
The four men were in smokers' exile on the front stoop at the bar, when the woman parked her car, got out and approached them, alone. She stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked up the four steps to the men. The men looked back. The woman spoke first. All four men began laughing. The woman walked up the stairs, spoke again and joined the laughter. The five then spoke for several minutes, laughing often, soaking up the weak winter sun. As the men stubbed out their cigarettes, the woman bade them farewell. She returned to her car. The men stayed outside to wave goodbye as she drove away. This took place at the Beach House, 506 Park Ave., in downtown Island Park. If you are there in January, you must be a local. Of course, that is almost as true in July, too. Island Park is one of this area's best kept secrets.
Classic bikes: Yamaha FS1E
Normal members of the human race could be forgiven for thinking that lawmakers are an alien species intent on making our lives a misery. In the golden days of motorcycling you simply saddled up and rode away into the sunset without any licence. Then a proficiency test was brought in, but the neophyte rider still learned on the bike of his choice. This was too good to last and so a 250cc limit was introduced, allegedly to keep learners safe on dull, porcine, British plodders. .
STATEHOUSE: Rep. Jones pushes Internet safety policies for public ...
BOSTON — You can lock the doors and windows, hold their hand at the mall and buy training wheels for bicycles. But a major danger facing kids today is right above the keyboard. "The Internet is one of the biggest risks we have for kids safety right now," said Lawrence Lt. Sean Burke, who is president of a national school safety group. And, a North of Boston lawmaker wants to make sure the time kids spend on school computers is safer. Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, is pushing legislation to require every school district to have a policy for making the Internet safe for minors and make the policy known to parents and legal guardians. "It's important that any parent be able to know what (the school system's) policy is, and even if there is no policy in particular," Jones said.
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