SC's Motorcycle Red Light Bill has become law with the governor's signature. Red lights controlled by malfunctioning traffic sensors can be treated as stop signs after waiting 120 seconds. Kudos to Reb and all others who worked on this important legislation. ~FF
S111: http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess117_2007-2008/bills/111.htm
1) Memorial Day on the Green River at GRCMMCC in WNC
2) Myrtle Beach Council wants to be rid of rallies
3) Bike Week busy for MUSC trauma
4) 3 reasons why Sanford might still have a shot at being vice president
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1) Memorial Day on the Green River at GRCMMCC in WNC
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FF Note: Special thanks to all ezine subscribers that took the time to attend the appreciation party this past weekend at GRCMMCC!
http://www.fastfreds.com/trips/mduppergreen/index.htm
Memorial Day on the Green River in WNC
May 24-26, 2008
Members of ABATE of SC gathered at GRCMMCC near Saluda over the Memorial Day Weekend to celebrate another successful legislative session. Other local pals dropped by to paddle or grill out. I tried out my new waterproof camera; why the camera proofed to be waterproof, many shots were later found to be blurry or out of focus. However the video function worked better than expected (http://www.fastfreds.com/trips/mduppergreen/movies/P6250111.AVI). The upper and lower sections of the green were run over the three day weekend ...
http://www.fastfreds.com/trips/mduppergreen/index.htm
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2) Myrtle Beach Council wants to be rid of rallies
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http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/465669.html
Myrtle Beach Council wants to be rid of rallies
Mayor: We don't need them
By Lorena Anderson
landerson@thesunnews.com
Furious and frustrated after the weekend shooting of a 20-year-old Coastal Carolina University student, Myrtle Beach City Council members said Tuesday that they do not want motorcycle rallies in the city any more.
A group of local ministers and a bike-rally event promoter spoke to the council at a morning workshop Tuesday and implored the city to help them "do something" about the behavior they witnessed during the past weekend.
Other groups have complained to city officials in previous years after the Atlantic Beach Bikefest biker rally and the Harley-Davidson spring rally.
"I experienced something ... enough is enough," the Rev. Tim McCray told the council on Tuesday. He said he and others had not slept for the past four days during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, staying up to get a firsthand look at the parties that have for years concerned residents and prompted complaints. "They were up there partying, doing things they shouldn't be doing."
Grand Strand Connection is an umbrella group that is trying to help solve "issues that threaten the harmony of Myrtle Beach," said McCray, the group's founder.
The group is bringing together local officials, clergy, hotel owners, restaurants and other groups that plan and hold events geared toward bikers to make the spring and fall bike rallies more organized.
McCray said he witnessed public sex acts and other behavior, not among the sport bikers who traditionally have come to the area during Memorial Day weekend, but among the 16- to 20-year-olds who arrive by the carload to party during weekend rally.
"We know the NAACP has you locked down," McCray told the council. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has sued the city and area businesses for what it has called racist behavior during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, which is visited predominantly by blacks and happens around Memorial Day weekend.
Others argue that those who come to the Atlantic Beach Bikefest - whatever their race - don't behave properly, don't respect the city and its residents and cause more trouble than they are worth financially.
The NAACP has monitored the Bikefest and the Harley-Davidson spring rally to make sure people are treated fairly at both events.
Myrtle Beach Councilman Mike Chestnut, who appeared visibly upset by the weekend shooting of CCU student Corey Brooks, asked McCray and the others what they expect the city to do to make bike rallies more successful.
"Why should we invest in this event when we don't in any other?" Chestnut asked. "Let me tell you what's going to happen. The City Council is going to shut it down. We're not going to have a 20-year-old shot because someone is too cheap to pay for a $20 parking space."
Police have not confirmed a motive in the shooting.
Hakim Harrell, an event promoter, said he understands the city's concern, but hopes more organized activities scattered throughout the city would draw people away from Ocean Boulevard.
"We don't care which rally it is, we'd just as soon stop them," Mayor John Rhodes told the group.
"We don't need them," Rhodes said. "We can fill all the hotel rooms without bike weeks."
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3) Bike Week busy for MUSC trauma
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http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/may/17/bike_week_busy_musc_trauma41276/
Bike Week busy for MUSC trauma
Many wounded motorcyclists sent to Charleston center for treatment
By Jill Coley
The Post and Courier
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Bikers know Myrtle Beach Bike Week by the crowds and roaring street machines. Trauma surgeons at Medical University of South Carolina know Bike Week by the wounds.
As the only Level 1 trauma center in the Lowcountry, and one of only four in the state, MUSC handles some of the most severe motorcycle accidents.
"You know when Bike Week is, and you see more accidents," said Dr. Keith Borg, professor and research director of emergency medicine. "There are a lot of head injuries and injuries to extremities. We certainly see amputations, head injuries and people die."
By the numbers
Motorcycle fatalities in S.C.:
2004 -- 85
2005 -- 94
2006 -- 106
2007 -- 120
2008 (so far) -- 36
The 68th annual Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally runs through Sunday. The total motorcycle accidents for the week as of Friday morning, the latest available report, was 92, with two fatalities, according to Horry County Emergency Management.
The Horry County Police Department has issued a total of 1,791 citations for offenses this week, with speeding constituting the vast majority of charges.
MUSC has to be ready for mass casualties, so extra staff is not recruited for events such as Bike Week. "We see motorcycle injuries in trauma year-round, certainly in the spring," Borg said.
South Carolina law does not require riders to wear a helmet unless they are age 21 or younger. Twenty-six states have similar laws with age restrictions ranging from 17 to 21. Twenty-one states require anyone on a motorcycle to wear helmets, and three states have no laws, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Richard "Roach" Mercer of Georgetown sat on a corner in Myrtle Beach and watched the bikers go by. "They're being stupid, revving up, acting like they're racing from red lights. That's what kills bikers," he said by telephone.
Mercer, a biker of 40 years, is the coastal area coordinator for ABATE, a motorcycle rights group. "If you go to the other states that have helmet laws and compare fatalities, the helmet does not do a good job saving lives in blunt-force trauma," he said.
Motorcycle fatalities have increased steadily in South Carolina. In 2005, 94 bikers died, about 70 percent of whom were not wearing helmets. Last year, 120 bikers were killed. The S.C. Department of Public Safety has not yet calculated what percentage of those were not wearing helmets.
As of Thursday, 36 motorcyclists were killed in the state. For the same period in 2007, that number was 28.
Alarmed by the rising numbers, the Motorcycle Safety Task Force was formed in March and is made up of law enforcement, highway safety groups and motorcycle industry leaders.
The ranks of licensed motorcycle drivers in the state has risen steadily, too. In May, motorcycle drivers in South Carolina totaled 167,244. That number, which includes licenses and beginner permits, rose by more than 2,000 since February 2008.
Borg said that although riders feel that it's their decision whether to wear a helmet, ultimately, that decision affects others.
"When you tell family they weren't wearing a helmet, they usually feel differently," he said.
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4) 3 reasons why Sanford might still have a shot at being vice president
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http://www.thestate.com/politics/story/415058.html
3 reasons why Sanford might still have a shot at being vice president
South Carolina’s governor is not among those invited to U.S. Sen. John McCain’s Arizona ranch for a chance to socialize with the Republican presidential nominee in waiting. But just because Sanford won’t be eating hot dogs with McCain this weekend doesn’t mean Sanford is completely out of the race. Here’s why.
1. None of the invited are slam-dunk picks. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is a new, bright governor who at 36 brings energy and youth. But he might not be ready to step in as president. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist helped McCain win the Sunshine State, which put him over the top for the nomination. But recent polling suggests McCain won’t need Crist to win Florida.
2. Look at who else won’t be there. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, two names mentioned as vice presidential candidates, won’t be with McCain this weekend. That means the attendees this weekend surely aren’t the only ones being considered.
3. This weekend could be a smoke screen. McCain wants the public to talk about his choice for vice president. That process makes him look presidential and takes media attention away from U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who he’ll probably face this fall.
But the process for selecting a vice president has seldom looked like this — public and obvious. That’s why the denials of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who will be in attendance, might be genuine. He says this isn’t an audition.
Besides, the process of selecting a vice president seldom has looked like a beauty pageant or a reality show, which this Memorial Day barbecue resembles.
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