Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition – November 2001 E-News
Dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of bicycling and walking opportunities in Washtenaw County through advocacy and education
1. WBWC December Meeting
2. WBWC Officer Elections
3. Sheriff Meeting
4. WBWC Board Elections
5. WBWC 2002 Projects
6. Shool Bicycling Volunteers Needed
7. Education Efforts Gearing Up
8. Member Discounts
9. Project Endorsements
10. Sidewalk Inventory Continuing
11. Sitting Around Is Dangerous
12. Diabetes Expected To Increase
13. Celebrity Justice I
14. Celebrity Justic II
15. Monthly Reminders
16. WBWC November 2001 Meeting Minutes
1. WBWC December Meeting
The next meeting of the WBWC will be held on Thursday, December 6th, 7pm at
the Ecology Center, 117 N. Division in Ann Arbor (just north of Huron). The
meeting will last for 1 to 1-1/2 hours with the main agenda item being the election
of WBWC officers for a one-year term of office. Other agenda items include WBWC
formalization, 2002 project priorities, meeting with the Washtenaw County Sheriff
over walking/bicycling concerns and winter sidewalk/bike path snow clearing.
Limited parking is available at the Ecology Center as well as next to Tios restaurant. Everyone is welcome to attend. WBWC meetings are normally scheduled for the first Thursday of every month. Minutes of the November WBWC meeting are posted at the end of this newsletter and also will be available on the WBWC website (www.wbwc.org) in the near future.
2. WBWC Officer Elections
As per the group's by-laws, the WBWC will be electing its 2002
officers at the December 6th meeting. Duties and responsibilities of the positions
are indicated in the by-laws available through the WBWC web page at www.wbwc.org.
If interested in serving in an officer position please contact Bob Krzewinski
at 734/487-9058 or wolverbob@cs.com.
3. Sheriff Meeting
On Thursday, November 8th, WBWC Chair Bob Krzewinski met with Washtenaw County
Sheriff Dan Minzey as well as Department Commander Anderson Brown. The basic
message of the meeting is that the cycling and walking community are very receptive
to working with the Sheriff's Department in a positive, constructive
manner.
High on the priority list for bicyclists was the need for legitimate complaints (i.e. being forced off the road by a motorist) need to be followed up. At the same time the Sheriff's Department was encouraged to take enforcement action against cyclists violating traffic laws as action by the Department would send a clear message that traffic laws apply to all vehicles, motorized or not.
From the Sheriff's Department end, assistance was requested of the WBWC for bicycling safety education sessions that are very often requested by local elementary schools. Realizing that education is very important the Sheriff also agreed to formulate a set of press releases meant for bicycle/running/walking club newsletters in the spring of 2002.
The Sheriff was also very interested in a law enforcement officer training program being formulated by a long-time Michigan police detective through the League of Michigan Bicyclists. Such a training program would spell out the rights, and responsibilities, of cyclists and be available early next year.
The meeting with Sheriff Minzey and Commander Brown was very positive with a clear impression that avenues of communication and understanding are open between the cycling/walking community and the Sheriffs Department.
4. WBWC Board Elections
At the WBWC annual membership meeting held on November 1st, elections took place
for WBWC Board of Directors members to serve a two-year term. Elected to office
were Tim Athan, Ken Clark, Bruce Fields, Kris Talley and Rebecca Kanner.
5. WBWC 2002 Projects
Projects the WBWC should concentrate on for 2002 will be a main agenda item
for the December 2001 meeting with input welcome from the membership. Suggestions
for action already discussed at the November meeting were State/Liberty Street
(Ann Arbor) bike lanes, sidewalk construction, snow removal, and a countywide
non-motorized plan.
6. School Bicycling Volunteers Needed
In cooperation with the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office, volunteers are needed
to help with bicycling educational efforts at local elementary schools. No special
skills are needed and a time commitment of 30 minutes at a school would be needed.
Items to be discussed (basic traffic laws, how to wear a helmet, etc.) would
be included in a written handout for volunteers. If interested, please call
734/487-9058 or e-mail wbwc@topica.com.
7. Education Efforts Gearing Up
If there is any time of the year that bicycling enters a "frenzy"
stage it would be in April and May, months were individuals may start taking
bikes out of storage and taking the roads for the first time of the year. To
help insure that cycling is done safely, the WBWC, together with local cycling
groups, plan to again in 2002 conduct educational efforts in the community.
Bicycling safety and education displays are planned to be set up at the Leslie Science Center Earth Day celebration (April 21st), Pittsfield Township Bike/Hike Day (April), and local farmers markets (Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti) during "Bike To Work/School" week Saturdays (May 11th and 18th).
Volunteers are needed to staff educational displays for a two-hour shift during the April/May events and if interested, please call Bob Krzewinski at 734/487-9058 or e-mail at wolverbob@cs.com.
8. Member Discounts
Ann Arbor Cyclery has joined the WBWC and agreed to offer a 10% discount on
purchases by WBWC members showing their membership cards. A hearty "thank
you" goes to Ann Arbor Cyclery for helping promote bicycling in
Washtenaw County.
9. Project Endorsements
At the November WBWC meeting, the Board of Directors voted to endorse a request
by the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (administrator of Huron-Clinton
Metroparks) to send letters of support to expand non-motorized pathways at the
Hudson Mills Metropark north of Dexter. Specifically, letters were sent to the
State of Michigan Natural Resources Fund and the Community Foundation For Southeast
Michigan asking that grants be awarded for path construction. The envisioned
path would stretch from Territorial Road to a bridge crossing over the Huron
River into Dexter. Such a path would be a vital portion of an overall Huron
River greenways system.
10. Sidewalk Inventory
Continuing
The WBWC continues to solicit recommendations for areas where there is heavy
pedestrian traffic and either no sidewalks are present or those that are available
are in very poor condition. Suggestions should include as much specific data
as possible and should be e-mailed to wbwc@topica.com. An added help on any
sidewalk suggestions would be photographs which can be mailed to the WBWC, c/o
Ecology Center, 117 N. Division, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 or dropped off at the Ecology
Center during weekday business hours. Suggestions will be inventoried with follow-up
to the appropriate governmental body.
11. Sitting Around Is Dangerous
The Federal Highway Administration's Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
estimates that while 5500 pedestrians or bicyclists are struck and killed by
automobiles each year, our sedentary lifestyle is a contributing factor in 250,000
deaths. So for each pedestrian that is killed by an automobile, 45 drivers die
due to physical inactivity
12. Diabetes Incidence Expected To Increase 165% By 2050
The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes will soar 165% over the next
50 years, according to a study published in Diabetes Care magazine. Dr. James
P. Boyle from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that 29 million
Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes in 2050, compared with 11 million
today. The good news: getting people to improve their diet and exercise habits
could slow this alarming increase.
"Dramatic new evidence signals the unfolding of a diabetes epidemic in the United States. With obesity on the rise, we can expect the sharp increase of diabetes rates to continue. Unless these dangerous trends are halted, the impact on our nation's health and medical care costs will be overwhelming" said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, CDC Director.
While over consumption of
fast food and other high fat foods is part of the problem, reduced physical
activity and neighborhoods with neither parks nor connecting sidewalks also
play a role, Dr. William Dietz of CDC
said. Obesity is second behind tobacco in U.S. health risk factors, contributing
to 300,000 deaths a year.
25% of Americans are obese, resulting in $100 billion a year in national healthcare
costs, or one in every $10 spent, Dietz said, and diabetes, often an obesity
complication, represents 25% of all Medicare costs. Dr. Boyle stated "Our
study strongly supports the need for people who are at risk for diabetes to
make these changes, such as developing better eating habits and maintaining
a regular exercise program." Visit http://www.cdc.gov/health/diabetes.htm
and
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm to learn more.
13. Celebrity Justice
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office confirmed that it is moving forward with
a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge against one-time Beverly Hills 90210/Scream
2 actress and Noxzema Girl model Rebecca Gayheart. On June 13th, Gayheart was
driving through Hollywood when she struck and killed a 9-year-old boy crossing
the street on his way home from school. Witnesses stated that several cars had
stopped to let the boy cross the road but Gayheart swerved around them and hit
the boy at an estimated 40mph. Gayheart claims she never saw the child and denies
any wrongdoing in the accident.
The Los Angeles District Attorney declined to press a more serious felony charge, stating that there was no evidence that Gayheart was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The dead boys parents, however, are suing Gayheart for gross negligence and wrongful death.
14. Celebrity Justice ll
Actor C. Thomas Howell (the Outsiders, E.T.) went on trial October 30th on charges
of hit and run, brandishing a weapon and making a terrorist threat. In late
2000 Howell struck a skateboarder with his truck, fled the scene and then returned
a short time later with a hammer. Howell told the injured skateboarder "I'm
going to kill you if you call the police". If convicted, Howell
faces more than four years in jail.
15. Monthly Reminders
WBWC Membership Applications
Available
WBWC membership applications are available through the website (www.wbwc.org)
and in the literature racks of most Washtenaw County bike shops. Basic membership
is $10 a year.
WBWC Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are currently needed for the following WBWC Committees...
Membership - Help maintain membership records, send out membership material
Publicity - Send out meeting and special event announcements, mail out printed
version of E-News
Education - Help plan and staff educational efforts (i.e., Earth Day, Bike To
Work Day/Week)
For details on any of these jobs, please contact Bob Krzewinski at 487-7058
or wolverbob@cs.com.
Ecology Center Library
It should be noted that the WBWC has a small, but growing, library of bicycling
and walking advocacy publications for check-out at the Ecology Center in Ann
Arbor.
Mark Your Calendar....
December 6 WBWC Monthly Meeting, 7pm, Ecology Center, Ann Arbor
January 3 WBWC Monthly Meeting, 7pm, Ecology Center, Ann Arbor