| Letters to the Editor (Feb. 21)
It is drivers with this attitude who make the roads dangerous, not cyclists like me.Wendy Byrne, CorvallisLots of considerate motorists, bicyclistsAs cycling season starts to heat up, it seems that the rhetoric between some motorists and cyclists does as well.This is unfortunate, because the vast majority of confrontations seem to be caused by relatively simple misunderstandings.By law, we all have a right to the roads and an obligation to follow the rules, even if some people don't like bikes and some don't like cars.We all pay taxes. Although there are vehicle use fees, most road funding is provided for by general taxes, property assessments, and the like. Besides, few cyclists don't also drive cars.To be certain, being held up behind a bicycle can be annoying.But how often do you get stuck behind someone who insists on turning left across a busy lane of traffic rather than continuing to a light or holding up an entire line of cars to wait for a parking spot?Anyone who drives into blind corners and other situations faster than he can react will eventually encounter a line of vehicles stopped for construction/accident, a kid running out to get a ball or on a bike, large debris, farm equipment, someone turning out of a driveway he didn't know was there, or a number of other common situations.Likewise, anyone who regularly blows through lights and stop signs on a bicycle will eventually cause an accident.As good luck would have it, there are a lot of considerate drivers and cyclists out there who practice defensive driving/cycling.Kyle Banerjee, MonmouthLet's talk solutions, not debate scienceJohn Jones ("Climate change has occurred in the past," Letters, Feb.
Counties draft plan on bike accident liability
Bicycle riders would be unable to collect damages from a county or city for most accidents under legislation that the Iowa State Association of Counties has drafted for state lawmakers' consideration.
Counties or cities would not be liable for injuries or damages resulting from bike accidents on their roads unless it was shown that government officials were notified of a road deficiency before an accident and that road crews neglected to take action, according to the legislative proposal. .
Le Tour de Langkawi 2008 - Stage 5
The battle of the sprinters continued in stage 5 today with Alberto Loddo of Tinkoff Credit systems adding to his stage victories. Alberto had the fastest legs in the mass finish with Argentine Mauro Richeze of CSF Group/Navigare second and Swiss sprinter Aurelien Clerc of Bouygues Telecom finishing third. Clerc displaced Anuar Manan as the green jersey wearer as Anuar faltered at the finish in sixth place. The win for Loddo on the rolling stage was a sort of reply from the Italian following Danilo Hondo's win in Stage Four yesterday and where after today, the score stood at one stage win each for the prolific sprinters.
Alberto Lodo celebrates! Clerc to his right takes green. Photo 2008 Action Images Loddo admitted after the 139.9km stage that he was desperate for a stage victory considering that his Tinkoff mates had been working hard for a bunch sprint over the last few days.
Mountain Bike Pioneer Leaves Imprint
CUPERTINO, CAPerhaps no one knew mountain biking pioneer John Finley Scott better than longtime friend Vance Sprock. Sprock, current owner of the Cupertino Bike Shop in Northern California, met its previous owner Scott for the first time in 1974. Scott was serving as chairman of the Davis Double Century. I was a young 16-year-old and soon-to-be budding cyclist, Sprock said. When I registered for that event, I recall reading this beautifully crafted route description. I wondered about who had written this entertaining, witty and insightful guide. Thus was the beginning of a lifelong friendship, cut short last year when convicted felon Charles Kevin Cunningham murdered Scott. Cunningham was sentenced in early December to 31 years, four months to life for Scotts death. Scott was 72 years old.
Herald/JOHN A. BOWERSMITH
The new Killeen senior and recreation centers are scheduled to open May 3.
That's what Killeen Parks and Recreation Director Brett Williams told Community Services Committee members and city staff during a tour of the two facilities' progress at Lions Club Park on Tuesday.
Williams said the new senior center is 85 percent done and the new family recreation center is 75 percent completed.
The committee started the tour in the senior center, which will include a covered drop-off area, a ballroom with a platform, administrative offices, and crafts, billiards, games, exercise and living rooms.
"This is the main feature of the building," said Williams, standing in the center of the ballroom.
He said the new senior center is much larger than the current Bob Gilmore center.
Toll road rejected
Orange Mayor and Orange County Transit Authority board member Carolyn Cavecche said the toll road would by itself siphon 50,000 cars a day off of I-5.Officials rejected an alternative that would entail widening I-5 in south Orange County, saying it wouldn't help enough, there is no money for it and it would require knocking out 1,200 homes and businesses.Thomas Margro, Foothill/Eastern's chief executive officer, said, "This project is the best option for relieving traffic congestion with the least amount of impact on communities and the environment."That point was vigorously disputed by environmental groups, surfers and other opponents. And they contended that a more effective cure to I-5's ills would be to improve I-5 itself. The Endangered Habitats League hired an East Coast consultant to study the I-5 alternative, and the result was an option that would require only 60 properties.Also in considerable dispute was the amount of damage to sensitive lands that would occur.
911 Mythical Reality
They even planted a 'passport' from one of the so called hijackers, on the sidewalk in front of the building. Amazing..it flew out of his pocket, somehow escaped the burning, crashed plane and miraculously floated down to the sidewalk, all in one piece. But, like I said, my first wake up call was looking at the blown up lobby.... And this is only the very beginning of many unanswered questions. Oh, we know who owned the Popular Mechanics magazine, but did you know the cousin of Michael CHERTOFF, Benjamin Chertoff wrote the article! Yup, its true. by joyce (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 73 comments) on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 10:25:33 AM .
Open Letter to Michael Kinsley On Behalf of Ron Paul - By Walter Block
Something strange is going on. Usually, when mainstream media journalists write about libertarianism, they can barely spell the word correctly. Often, in terms of their understanding, they seem to think of it as "libertoonianism" or, perhaps, "librarianism"; sometimes they actually confuse it with libertinism or conservatism (Block, Walter. 2007. "Plumb Line Libertarianism: A Critique of Hoppe." Reason Papers, Vol. 29, Fall, pp. 151–163). Typically, at least in surveys, leading pollsters do not even include the philosophy of liberty as an option, along with the alternatives they do offer: socialism, liberalism, on the left, a category for moderates, and then on the right conservatism and fascism. It is, then, with great appreciation that we must welcome a series of two articles written by Michael Kinsley on this subject (here and here).
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