Continued From Page 2
WATCH OUT FOR NEW DEADWOOD SPEED LIMITS–Having reduced the speed limit in one area, Deadwood officials continue to work on improving pedestrian and vehicle safety on the town’s main thoroughfare.
Police Chief Kelly Fuller told the Deadwood City Commission Monday night that the city’s parking and transportation committee met again with a state Department of Transportation official over safety measures for Highway 85-14A, the four-lane highway.The northeast end is hilly, connecting to Boulder Canyon and Deadwood Hill. There is active foot traffic between area gaming hotels, trolley stops, the Days of ’76 Museum, rodeo grounds, and the foot path along Whitewood Creek. Nearer to downtown, tourists migrate between the gaming district, parking areas and the new facade attraction depicting frontier storefronts.
The city and DOT earlier this year reduced the speed limit in that section, although some city officials want it even slower speeds. To educate drivers, a mobile electronic sign alerts motorists to their speed and the posted speed limit.
Additional measures are under consideration, and Mayor Francis Toscana said he expects one in particular to generate a great deal of discussion.
He pointed to the plan to eliminate all on-street parking along the four-lane highway to create room for a fifth lane, a center-turn lane. He said a public hearing would be held on the concept to help determine if the proposed change would go forward.
Other issues presented by Fuller included proposed pedestrian cross-walks and traffic lights. He said the state does not support one city priority project – adding a traffic light at the intersection of the four-lane with 76 Drive, the short street and bridge over Whitewood Creek that leading directly to the rodeo grounds.
Fuller said, overall, he was very pleased with the meeting with the DOT. He said many of the issues discussed would be paid by the state, which will require more time as the agency finds the money in its budget.
Among the more costly items under discussion is the possibility of having an pedestrian overpass over the four-lane. It would connect the convention facility proposed at the corner of Sherman Street and the highway, where the Treber Building was demolished. This is suggested as an important issue to increase pedestrian safety.On another issue, the board reminded all drivers that bike-only parking will start on Main Street Saturday, Aug. 8.
–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com
STURGIS CHAMBER FILES RALLY SUIT– A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but it might not be as profitable for the owner of the rose, according to Sturgis motorcycle rally officials who have filed suit in federal court to protect the event’s name.
The Sturgis City Council, after an executive session Monday night, voted to join the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce in the civil action. The chamber board of directors voted July 7 to file the lawsuit.The city will pay half the cost of the legal action, with a cap of $5,000.A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, in front of Judge Karen Scheier in U.S. District Court in Rapid City.
The legal action is a continuation of a suit filed in 2000 against Sturgis Bike Week Inc. (then known as Sturgis Rally and Races), a breakaway company that was part of the umbrella organization overseeing many of the event activities. The initial suit was aimed at preventing Sturgis Bike Week from portraying itself as an official sponsor of the rally.
At that time, Scheier ruled against the company but allowed it to sell T-shirts and caps as long as it didn’t use the chamber’s trademark or logo.The most recent action, filed Tuesday by the city and chamber, alleges that the owners of Sturgis Bike Week are making a conscious effort to change the name of the event to that of their company. Sturgis Bike Week is owned by Bob Davis, Gary Lippold and Francie Reubel-Alberts.
The new action alleges that in the rally magazine the company publishes, there are more than 60 references to “Sturgis Bike Week,” including calling it the 64th annual and saying it started in 1938 -n both attributes of the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Rapid City attorney Mike Reynolds represents the city and the chamber.”This is a concerted effort to change the name to Sturgis Bike Week and make our trademark useless,” Reynolds said about the references in the magazine.
By Bill Cissell, Journal Staff Writer
–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com
VICTORY TEAMS WITH S&S TO BUILD VICTORY PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS–To satisfy the power and performancedesires of its customers, Victory Motorcycles has teamed up with the leadingaftermarket source for American V-twin performance equipment, S&S Cycle,Inc. in an alliance that will result in the development of high-performanceengine components for Victory motorcycles.
Victory, the motorcycle division of Polaris Industries Inc., willprovide the S&S Cycle product development team with technical informationabout Victory Freedom(tm) V-Twin engines as well as advanced informationabout new Victory products. This will allow them to design, test and produceperformance equipment for Victory motorcycles in the most timely fashion.
The alliance was announced during the Polaris 50th anniversarycelebration held at the Minnesota State fairgrounds this past July and willbe formally unveiled to hardcore motorcycle enthusiast this August duringthe Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Smith said the first S&S Cycle products for Victory motorcycles willbe performance kits that convert Victory’s Freedom(tm) 100/6 and 92/5 V-twinengines into high-performance 106-cubic-inch (ci) engines. These kits arescheduled to be available in the spring of 2005.
S&S Cycle will sell its Victory-related performance equipmentdirectly to authorized Victory dealers and will not sell the productsdirectly to consumers.
HUPY ALERT–On July 13, 2004, Daniel Buckel and his girlfriend, Theresa Brzykcy, were taking a relaxing ride on Buckel’s 2002 Honda. As the night air cooled, a hazy fog cover masked the roadway, and Buckel slowed down to around 40 mph. That likely saved his and Theresa’s lives. Suddenly, they were catapulted through the air, landing on a nearby driveway. Buckel required 15 stitches to close a cut on his head and received a broken finger. Theresa was knocked unconscious when she hit the ground.
Someone had stretched kitchen variety plastic wrap across the roadway, attached to two sign posts. The consequences could have been deadly, but in this instance luck was on the side of the riders. Waukesha County Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for this act. Attorney Michael F. Hupy, nationally known for fighting for motorcyclist’s rights and representing injured bikers, offered an additional $5,000. According to Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department Detective Steve Pederson, they received over 50 tips regarding the plastic wrap case.
Some tips pointed directly to specific individuals, and after interviewing them, the Sheriff’s Department received calls from attorneys representing four teens who were interviewed, one 14 year old, and three 16 year olds. The older teens could be waived over and charged as adults, but it is unlikely according to the District Attorney.
Attorney Hupy offered the $5,000 reward in order to prompt someone to come forward with information. He said the sheriff will determine whom, among the 50 tipsters, will get the reward. He also stated that although he will represent the injured bikers, he will not accept a fee but rather donate any fee to a local motorcycle safety organization. He said he offered the reward in an attempt to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. This type of prank could have been fatal for motorcyclists, and he wants other teens to realize the consequences of such actions.
AIRPLANE CRASH–An airplane was about to crash; there were fivepassengers on board, but only four parachutes. The 1stpassenger said, “I am Kobe Bryant, the best NBAbasketball player; the Lakers need me, I can’t affordto die.” So he took the 1st pack and left the plane.
The 2nd passenger, Hillary Clinton said, “I am thewife of the former US President, a NY State Senatorand a potential future president. And I am thesmartest woman in American history, so America’speople don’t want meto die,” and she took the 2nd pack and jumped out ofthe plane..
The 3rd passenger, George W. Bush, said, “I’m thepresident of the United States of America. I havegreat responsibility being the leader of a superpowernation.” So he grabbed the pack next to him andjumped.
The 4th passenger, the Pope, said to the 5thpassenger, a 10 year old schoolgirl, “I am old andfrail and don’t have many years left, and as aCatholic, I will sacrifice my life and let you havethe last parachute.”
The girl said, “That’s okay. There’s a parachute leftfor you. America’s smartest woman took my schoolbag.”
–from Mr. Samson
Continued On Page 4
