Poker Runs are illegal in South Carolina. According to the Attorney General: "...there is no exception for lotteries conducted by or on behalf of charitable organizations."
See the proof yourself by visiting this URL: http://www.fastfreds.com/pokerruns/SC_AG_opinion_poker_runs.pdf
If you care join ABATE of SC and help get the law changed.
Pass it on to all the charitable bikers you know,
FF
PS – Make plans now to attend the opening day of the legislature on January 8, 2008. A scavenger hunt and other fun and educational activities are planned.
1) Weekend Events
2) BOLT Call to Action for All Bikers
3) Sanford promotes tougher DUI law
4) Report says NC Transportation Department lacks priorities
5) WNC police agencies shed gas guzzlers
6) Asheville becomes ‘extreme’ epicenter
7) Blue Ridge Parkway section to close in November
8) Toy Run returns to Madison
9) Sights to see at the Coastal Carolina Fair
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1) Weekend Events
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7:00 PM November 2, 2007: Mt Pleasant Night Run sponsored by East Cooper ABATE and begins at ACME Cantina. Call Panhead at 843-345-3799 for more info.
8:00 AM November 3, 2007 Fisher House Charity Ride - American Legion Riders of Augusta, GA host 3rd Annual Charity Fundraiser for the Dwight Eisenhower Army Medical Center Fisher House Fort Gordon. For more info please call (706) 787-7100 or download the flyer (JPG) at http://www.fisherhouse.org/upcoming/20071103_charityRide.jpg
11:30 AM November 3, 2007: Madison Toy Run... please see item 7 for details.
12:00 PM November 3, 2007: Green River Race, the most extreme kayak race in the world. This will take place in the Green River Narrows near Saluda, NC. for more info contact FF or FU.
1:00 PM November 3, 2007: ABATE of SC Legislative Meeting. This meeting will take place at Over Yonder in Columbia, SC. for more info visit http://www.abatesc.com/events/legislativemeeting.php
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2) BOLT Call to Action for All Bikers
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BOLT Call to Action for All Bikers
Please pass this message on to everyone you know who rides a motorcycle, and ask them to pass it along to at least 5 more bikers. We need to spread the word to every motorcyclist in the country.
For years, we have been complaining about motorcycle helmets and about mandatory helmet laws, and for years, the government has not listened. They continue to force helmets onto our heads whether we like it or not.
It is time to COMPLAIN LOUDLY and OFTEN. Here’s how:
The government has a computer system where we should all be filing our complaints. It is relatively unused. After several years, there are only about 20 complaints about motorcycle helmets on file.
Let’s change that. Let’s let the government know every complaint we have about helmets. Let’s let them know how we do not like to be forced to wear helmets. We must complain loudly and often, or else they will think we are complacent.
Please file a complaint about your helmet now.
If you are fed up with helmets and mandatory helmet laws, and are ready to file a complaint right now, visit the NHTSA ODI Complaint Site at
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov
Visit Bikers of Lesser Tolerance (B.O.L.T.) for more information at http://boltusa.org
This action is inspired by freedom fighters everywhere, such as Richard “Quig” Quigley, who used to call and complain to the NHTSA almost every day, even after his living wake, and right up until the day he died of lymphoma in 2007. Other freedom fighters, not just from B.O.L.T. but everywhere constantly complain also. Let’s spread the word to start filing official complaints. Please help fight for our rights. Civil liberties are important!
Thank you!
Jan - BOLT of NC/BOLT of the Carolinas
Please be sure to pass this message along to everyone you know who rides motorcycles!
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3) Sanford promotes tougher DUI law
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FF Note: Senator Hutto’s claim “The sad reality is that kids are getting hurt on (all-terrain vehicles) because the governor wouldn’t sign a helmet law” looks like a red flag to me.
Sanford promotes tougher DUI law
Governor speaks out against ‘horror’ of alcohol-related deaths in S.C.
By RICK BRUNDRETT - rbrundrett@thestate.com
Gov. Mark Sanford used his bully pulpit again Wednesday to call for passage of a House bill that would toughen the state’s DUI laws.
And he singled out two state senators who recently questioned the need for a new law.
In a reference to Halloween, Sanford said the number of alcohol-related fatalities in South Carolina is a “bigger elephant in the room when it comes to horror.”
“It’s a horror that we don’t have to dress up for,” Sanford told a group of students, law enforcement officials and others outside Lexington High School.
“You don’t have to wait for it a year because it comes every single day to people in South Carolina.”
Sanford has spoken publicly for tougher DUI laws several times since The State newspaper reported after an investigation last year that in 40 percent of repeat-offense DUI convictions the charges were pleaded down, resulting in lighter sentences.
The Palmetto State in recent years has ranked near the top nationally in the rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths. In 2005, for example, 464 out of 1,093 people killed in all traffic wrecks — or 42 percent — died in alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A House bill (H. 3496) would replace existing DUI laws by tying penalties to a driver’s blood-alcohol level and prior record — the higher the level and more prior offenses, the stiffer the punishment. The bill passed the House late in the session but wasn’t considered by the Senate.
After Wednesday’s news conference Sanford said he could support banning plea bargaining in DUI cases, as do 18 other states in some manner, though the S.C. House bill doesn’t contain that provision.
At a state Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing two weeks ago, Sens. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, and Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, questioned the need for any new DUI laws.
Hutto said lawmakers should focus more on increasing the number of troopers statewide, while Knotts said the state should crack down more on drivers who run stoplights or stop signs while talking on cell phones.
Sanford called those statements “a mistake” and urged supportive senators to “harass” bill opponents.
“I think the bill that has passed the House made a lot of sense, and we ought to stick with that,” Sanford said.
Although he didn’t single out Hutto by name as a criminal defense attorney, Sanford noted the “sad reality is that some people make profits as a result of the existing system and want to keep it the way that it is.”
Hutto, who didn’t attend Wednesday’s news conference, dismissed Sanford’s criticism and questioned the governor’s commitment to safety.
“The sad reality is that kids are getting hurt on (all-terrain vehicles) because the governor wouldn’t sign a helmet law,” he said.
Hutto, chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, said, while he’s not opposed to toughening DUI penalties to help reduce traffic fatalities, hiring more troopers will “accomplish that goal more than tinkering with the law.”
But Trey Gowdy, the solicitor for Spartanburg and Cherokee counties, said during the news conference that putting more troopers on the road won’t solve the problem by itself. Critics of the current “illegal per se” law, which makes it illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, say the law is largely unenforceable because it contains loopholes that make it easy for cases to be dismissed.
“Troopers don’t use the current law that we have now,” Gowdy said. “It is an abomination. It is ridiculously complex.”
Hutto countered that troopers and other officers are making many DUI cases successfully under another section of the law that isn’t tied to a driver’s blood-alcohol content.
Hutto said he plans to hold another subcommittee meeting on the House bill in early December. Jeff Moore, executive director of the S.C. Sheriff’s Association, said Wednesday he hopes the Senate can pass a bill by February so it can quickly get to a conference committee.
“It’s time for people to throw their cards on the table and take a vote,” he said.
Jami Goldman, executive director of the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said during the news conference that her organization has collected petitions with “thousands” of signatures supporting the House bill.
“There are threats to changing what is a promising piece of legislation,” she said. “We need to keep the bill the way it is because it is an improvement.”
Reach Brundrett at (803) 771-8484.
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4) Report says NC Transportation Department lacks priorities
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_NCO_DOT_CONSULTANT_RECORDS_NCOL-?SITE=NCASH&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Report says NC Transportation Department lacks priorities
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A consultant's report that cost taxpayers $2.5 million says that projects at the state Transportation Department proceed slowly because of a lack of priorization, accountability and coordination.
The 470-page report was done by McKinsey & Co., which is an international management consultant. The review is based in part on interviews and surveys of nearly 9,000 employees and interviews with state leaders.
State lawmakers have told the department to examine how it works before requesting more money.
The report also found that the DOT's structure prevents some divisions from working well with each other and that it doesn't do a good job of recruiting new workers or keeping the good ones.
Among the recommendations are that the DOT increase accountability and streamline projects.
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5) WNC police agencies shed gas guzzlers
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FF Note: I wonder if this is related to the increased difficulty of obtaining helmet tickets in North Carolina?
WNC police agencies shed gas guzzlers
by Mike McWilliams, MMCWILLIAMS@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
ASHEVILLE – Remember when police officers on horseback were the sight to see in downtowns? In Asheville, the men in blue cruise around in Global Electric Motorcars.
That’s a sign of the times as police agencies in Western North Carolina depend less on gas-gulping SUVs and old-school Crown Victorias in favor of vehicles with smaller or hybrid engines. Some agencies also have limited patrols to rein in fuel costs.
Prices for a gallon of unleaded gas averaged $2.86 in North Carolina on Wednesday, up 31 percent from a year ago.
Asheville police have been dealing with added fuel costs through changes that include putting command staff in hybrid vehicles.
The department has three of the electric motorcars, or GEMs, to supplement other vehicle use downtown. The GEMs move at up to 25 mph. Asheville police also recently ordered three hybrid vehicles, Capt. Wade Wood said.
Detectives use smaller Chevrolet Impalas rather than the V8-powered Ford Crown Victorias, though there are no plans to completely phase out the cars from a fleet of 181 marked and unmarked vehicles.
“Just for where we work, in the transporting of prisoners, I think we’re still trying to stay with the bigger car because the fuel economy is not significantly worse,” Wood said.
Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis opted to replace some sport utility vehicles with smaller six-cylinder cars to save gas when fuel price prices started climbing.
“That has helped a good deal on the fuel consumption,” said Davis, who replaced eight V8-powered trucks and SUVs with six-cylinder Dodge Chargers. “We’ve reduced that number (of SUVs), and we hope to reduce that number further as the budget permits.”
Henderson County deputies are instructed to go to their patrol areas and try to remain as static as possible and try to keep their patrol areas tighter, Davis said.
“The public still wants to see us out there, so we’ve tried to become more static at certain periods of the day,” he said. “For instance, when traffic is very heavy, the deputies will try to remain more static in a particular area, and then still try to get out there and make visibility a priority.”
Henderson County has $405,000 budgeted for fuel for the current fiscal year, which is down slightly from $408,000 last year. Those figures are for all county vehicles, including Sheriff’s Office vehicles.
There are no plans to completely eliminate trucks and SUVs, because they are needed to traverse mountain roads in inclement weather, Davis said. There are 33 remaining in the fleet, he said.
Pressure to stay visible while limiting patrols
The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office faces the same task in keeping deputies in public view while also cutting fuel costs, Capt. Eddie Lance said.
Transylvania County deputies also are instructed to try to limit driving, he said.
“One of the big problems that we have is that the county is so spread out, going from one end to the other on calls,” Lance said. “But we have implemented those as fuel costs rise.”
This Sheriff’s Office’s gas budget this year is $100,830, up from $97,595 last fiscal year, he said. So far, fuel costs are on target, Lance said.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office has been pleased with savings from moving toward greater use of Dodge Chargers, deputy Sam Arrowood said. The department’s five Chargers get about 20 miles per gallon compared with 15 with the Crown Victorias, Arrowood said. The Chargers have been in use for about a year, he said.
A fully equipped Dodge Charger costs about $24,000, Arrowood said.
“In the new budget this year, we’ve asked to purchase those same cars with the V6 engines,” Arrowood said, adding that the department wants to buy three more Dodge Chargers. “I don’t know if we’ll replace all of our cars with the V6, but all of the new cars we’ve been buying have been V6s. We’re hoping in the long run, that will give us some savings.”
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office also recently added some Dodge Chargers to its fleet. The department is considering other fuel-saving measures such as hybrid vehicles, but has no driving restrictions in place, Lt. Randy Sorrells said.
“We do ask our officers to conserve in areas such as not letting the vehicle sit and idle when not being used,” Sorrells wrote in an e-mail. “We drive about 225,000 miles a year at an average cost (through contract of) $2.09 a gallon.”
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6) Asheville becomes ‘extreme’ epicenter
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http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771031070
Asheville becomes ‘extreme’ epicenter
by Johnny Buck, JBUCK@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
ASHEVILLE – When it comes to extreme kayaking and trail running, it doesn’t get much better than this.
On Saturday, the Asheville area will play host to the Green River Narrows Race and the Shut-In Ridge Run, two of the world’s most prestigious extreme sporting events.
Celebrating its 12th year, the Green River race is again attracting elite competitors from across the globe. This year, in addition to the typical all-star cast of U.S. paddlers, three racers from Germany have arrived ready to test a series of Class V rapids that culminate in “The Gorilla,” a boiling series of falls that has more than earned its name over the years.
“It’s an extreme race. It’s no day at the park,” said organizer Jason Hale. “You need to know what you’re doing out there.”
Skills also are at a premium when it comes to the Shut-In Ridge Run. Many competitors take about three hours to complete the nearly 18-mile race, a time typically associated with marathons.
“The course is just unrelenting the whole entire time,” said Meadow Tarves, of Fletcher, last year’s female champion. “If you’ve done it before, you know what to expect, and you know it’s going to hurt. It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in.”
Shut-in Ridge Run
When: Starts at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Where: Along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, from the N.C. Arboretum in Bent Creek to the trailhead for Mount Pisgah Summit at Milepost 407 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
What: A “cult-classic trail run” started in 1979, according to organizer Jay Curwen. The 18-mile course follows the same trail George Vanderbilt used to access his hunting lodge atop Mount Pisgah, and at the race has a full field of 175 competitors. The single-track layout requires excellent technical running skills.
“It’s just an adventure,” said Shiloh Mielke, 27, last year’s overall winner. “If you step on a rock under some leaves, you have to be able to catch yourself and adapt. You have to be able to get in a rhythm and be able to look 10 or 20 feet ahead if you’re going fast. It wears down on your body, and by the time you’re at the end, your body’s reaching its limits.”
A test of endurance more than sheer speed, this event’s popularity grows every year.
“It’s not a speed demon race,” said the 29-year-old Tarves, who is Mielke’s sister. “It’s a grind the whole time.”
The players: Men — Two-time defending champion Mielke (2:28:30), of Hendersonville. Aaron Saft, a newcomer to Asheville, has been tearing up the racing scene recently. He’s a definite challenger to Mielke, though first-time runners of this event usually receive a rough welcome. Women — Returning champion Tarves (2:47:54). Wendy Wright (3:10:11), 37, of Asheville, finished third last year.
Course records: Men — Mielke, 2:28:30, 2006. Women — Cherry Rosenblatt, 2:41, 1997.
Prizes: Though the winner receives a sleeping bag valued at roughly $200, this event is not about getting rich. “It’s definitely more bragging rights than anything,” Curwen said.
Go see it: Several Blue Ridge Parkway pullouts along the course offer a glimpse of runners. According to Curwen, popular vantage points, heading south from Asheville, include Sleepy Gap (Milepost 397), Bent Creek Gap (Mp 400), Beaver Dam Overlook (Mp 401) and the finish line (Mp 407).
On the Net: lowerardentrackclub.com, shutinridgerun.com or justrunning.com.
Green River Narrows Race
When: Starts at noon Saturday.
Where: On the Polk-Henderson county line near Saluda.
What: A one-mile downriver race, this legendary contest takes paddlers over waterfalls, down Class V rapids and through menacing boulder fields. Never one for the meek of heart, this year’s event looms even larger because of low water levels from a summerlong drought.
“It’s way lower than most people are used to,” competitor Robin Betz said of the current water level. “It’s definitely a risk. I actually tried to get a full-face helmet because that would give me more confidence — having a barrier between my face and the rocks — but that just hasn’t come through.”
Hale, 34, is encouraging racers to be cautious.
“We’ve been doing it for 12 years, and we push people to make the right choice,” he said. “We don’t want anybody to get hurt. Don’t think your bravery is going to get you down the river. You better have some skills.”
To compensate for low water levels, Hale has collaborated with operators of the Tuxedo Hydro Station. Most years, one turbine operates at 100 percent capacity, sending 150 cubic feet per second of water down the river basin, according to Hale. This year, however, two turbines will run at 60 percent capacity, giving competitors 20 percent more generated water than usual.
Pat Keller won the long-boat and short-boat class last year. Though Keller, an Asheville resident, has paddled in events all over the world, he said the Green River Race is tops in his mind.
“There’s a saying that goes around for us racers that the Green Race is the most spectacular race in sports,” said Keller, 21. “As far as kayak racing goes, there’s no race in my mind that quite lives up to its standards.”
The event is divided into three categories: Open Class (long boats), Short Boat Class (8-foot-6-inches and less) and Greenman Class (competitors in open and short boat events). A female winner will be crowned if five or more participants compete.
The players: Men — Defending champion Keller (4:36). Six-time champion Tommy Hilleke (4:41), a former Asheville resident now living in Colorado. Andrew Holcombe (4:38), of Asheville, took second last year. Women — Andria Davis (6:26), of Asheville, may not run this year because of low water levels. Adriene Levknecht (6:41), of Asheville, finished second last year.
Course records: Men — Hilleke, 4:34, 2005. Women — Nikki Kelly, 5:46, 2002.
Prizes: Local artist Todd Grafe designs stained-glass trophies for winners, but competitors also enjoy another time-honored reward.
“We don’t give any cash money away, we don’t charge an entry fee,” said Hale. “We just do it for bragging rights.”
Go see it: An extremely strenuous one-hour hike awaits spectators who want to see the race. Would-be audience members need to be in great physical condition, with proper clothing and sturdy hiking boots. Carpooling is encouraged because of a lack of parking space; don’t park in front of private homes.
The best viewing spot is from Gorilla rapids. From Asheville, take Interstate 26 east. Take the Upward Road Exit and head east, driving about 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Big Hungry Road (after the second church). Take your first left, then first right, staying on Big Hungry Road. Pass Gallimore Road and continue 3.1 miles to the Pulliam Creek Trail. Park on the right. Cross a log footbridge. In two miles, come to a steep path. Take this to the river. The last part requires scrambling on hands and knees and comes out just upstream of Sunshine Falls. Head upstream to Gorilla.
For an easier alternative, greet competitors at the finish line by driving to Fishtop Falls access area.
From Asheville take I-26 east to the Green River Cove Road exit. Turn left. Follow Green River Cove Road about 4 miles to Fishtop Falls access area on the right.
On the Net: www.boatingbeta.com.
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7) Blue Ridge Parkway section to close in November
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http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771031077
Parkway section to close in November
ASHEVILLE – The 51.6-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between U.S. 70 east of Asheville at Milepost 382.5 and N.C. 226 at Gillespie Gap, Milepost 330.9, will be temporarily detoured for tunnel repairs starting Nov. 6.
The detour will close the parkway to all traffic from Milepost 355.3 (just south of the entrance to Mount Mitchell State Park) to Milepost 364.5 (just north of the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center).
The detour will begin for traffic traveling south at Milepost 330.9, with the intersection of N.C. 226. Follow the detour signs to Interstate 40 west at Exit 86. Visitors should take Exit 55 to U.S. 70 west, which brings them back to the parkway at Milepost 382.5.
Visitors traveling north will begin the detour at Milepost 382.5, at the intersection with U.S. 70; follow the detour signs along U.S. 70 east to the intersection of I-40 east and continue to Exit 86.
Take N.C. 226 north to return to the parkway at Milepost 330.9 at Gillespie Gap. The total detour distance is about 47 miles.
Repairs to the Craggy Pinnacle Tunnel at Milepost 364.4 will take three months to complete.
For more information on road conditions, call the parkway’s automated line at 298-0398.
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8) Toy Run returns to Madison
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http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771031088
Toy Run returns to Madison
MARSHALL – MARSHALL — The 11th annual Madison County Toy Run for bikes and cars will be held beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, leaving from the former Freebird Motorcyle shop in the Forks of Ivy Plaza at Exit 13 off Interstate 26. The run ends at Madison High School in Marshall, where lunch will be served.
Participants are asked to contribute $10 or a new toy worth $10 to earn a meal ticket. Donations of cash and toys will go to local children. For more information, call Jeff at 206-3363, Rhonda at 280-0624, or Wanda at 206-9200.
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9) Sights to see at the Coastal Carolina Fair
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FF Note: Generally motorcycle parking can be obtained near a gate.
http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/nov/01/sights_see_at_coastal_carolina_fair20810/
Sights to see at the Coastal Carolina Fair
WHAT: The 51st anniversary of the Coastal Carolina Fair. Fireworks every night. Daily entertainment. Fair runs through Saturday.
Cost: $8; $5 for children 6-12; free for children 5 and younger; $17 for hand-stamp for all-day ride pass; $20 for ride coupon book.
Daily events
--Duck slide and embryology exhibits in Agriculture Building.
--Live honey bee exhibit in Agriculture Building.
--CFRBA rabbit show.
--Live animals in Animal Barn.
--Carl Brunson's "One-Man Band" at Cox Pavilion.
--Petting zoo near Kiddieland at Gate 2.
--Senior and junior art and photography exhibits in Fine Arts Building.
--Lawn and garden exhibits.
--Craft exhibits.
--Commercial booths in the Exhibit and Agriculture buildings, with displays and demonstrations.
Today
EXCHANGE CLUB OF CHARLESTON DAY: Gate hours, 3-9 p.m. Bounce & Ooo La La — juggling, unicycling and more, 5, 7 p.m. Sea Lion Splash, 4, 6, 8 p.m. Equestrian Show "Parade of Breeds," 7 p.m. Tracy Lawrence, 7:30 p.m. Local talent includes Flowertown Elementary Singers, 5:30 p.m.; Just Dance, 6 p.m.; Carolina Dancers, 6:30 p.m.; Carolina Kids, 7 p.m.; Showtime 2007, 8 p.m.; Wranglers Rockin Country, 8:30 p.m.; Coastal Carolina Fair 2007 Star Search, 9 p.m. Fireworks show, 8:45 p.m.
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