On the LAKE Front

Plymouth Rock n Ride, Sunday 20 November —Matt Portwood

Received today. -jsq

John,

A group of local cyclists collected over 60 food items and over 200 clothing items while riding in the Plymouth Rock-n-Ride Charity Bicycle Ride on Sunday November 20th. The cyclists rode to various checkpoints throughout Valdosta featuring different challenges to be completed. The group also visited grocery store checkpoints to buy a variety of food items for a local charity. The riders then delivered the food and clothing donations to the Saint Francis Center Ministry Outreach program on Mary Street. Prizes from local sponsors (Red Door Records, Western Auto, Valdosta Bike Center and Salem Records) were awarded to the 1^st, 2^nd, 9^th, and 13^th place finishers in the ride.

Matt

Bicyclists at Valdosta City Council 10 November 2011

Courtesy of the camera of George Rhynes, here are the Citizens to Be Heard at Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting. Most of them are frequent cyclists, with a surprise ally speaking first.

• Health and safety through bicycles —Roy Taylor

• We have just had a very divisive issue —Ken Klanicki
  OK, Ken wasn't talking about bicycles, but the next one doesn't make sense without Ken's talk.

• Truth really needs no defense! —George Rhynes

• Bikes, Students and Public Meetings —George Rhynes
  (video of bikes locked to City Hall steps railing)

• Community's need for public transportation, bike lanes, and walking —Heather Evans

• How about some bike racks? —Matt Portwood

• I'm a bicyclist —Jim Jones

I think that's all of them.

-jsq

I'm a bicyclist —Jim Jones @ VCC 10 November 2011

Jim Jones told Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting he was a certified bicycle technician. He mentioned all sort of reasons for bicycling:

Bicycles are going to be a big part of our future. Gas prices, and a lot of folks getting their licenses suspended, having to walk.... And if you don't have a bicycle, that's the only choice you have.

He mentioned Valdosta was lagging behind Portland.

Here's the video:

I'm a bicyclist —Jim Jones @ VCC 10 November 2011
bicycle, path, health care, health, sidewalk, grant,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 November 2011.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

How about some bike racks? —Matt Portwood @ VCC 10 November 2011

Matt Portwood told Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting that since his last address to the Council was so well received this time he brought friends (such as Heather Evans, who had just spoken) and an ally in the front row ( Roy Taylor, who spoke first) This time he asked for bike racks. If City Hall had one outside, their bicycles wouldn't have been locked to the front step railing.

Here's the video:

—Matt Portwood @ VCC 10 November 2011
bicycle, path, health care, health, sidewalk, grant,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 November 2011.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

Community's need for public transportation, bike lanes, and walking —Heather Evans @ LCC 10 November 2011

Heather Evans provided a petition with more than 200 signatures, and told Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting she got requests frequently while working in community service for something to be done about non-automobile transportation. She presented a variety of evidence.

Ideally, I'd like to see bike lanes all over town. But if I had to pick one to start with, St. Augustine would be my choice. I choose this road because it also needs to have a completed sidewalk segment. I can't tell you how many people including myself have been endangered while using this portion of road.

George Rhynes took this video and remarked:

WOW! Valdosta-Lowndes County is now being seen as a real metro city and citizens are asking questions to their elected officials. WOW! The old control, suppress, and abate is apparently unacceptable in 2011 as we get ready for the 2012 Presidential election.

Here's the video:

Bikes, Students and Public Meetings —George Rhynes @ VCC 10 November 2011

When he spoke in Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting, George Rhynes mentioned he had videoed the bicycles he found out front.

Here's the video:

Bikes, Students and Public Meetings —George Rhynes @ VCC 10 November 2011
bicycle, path, health care, health, sidewalk, grant,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 November 2011.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

Truth really needs no defense! —George Rhynes @ VCC 10 November 2011

George Rhynes stood up at Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting to respond to Ken Klanicki's concern about Sam Allen's speech on the City Hall steps the previous day.

I want the record to show and I hope the Valdosta Daily Tims will print it, that former Superintendent Sam Allen, all he did was to act as a professional, which he is.

George also commended the bicyclers and said he had videoed the bicycles he found out front.

Here's the video:

Truth really needs no defense! —George Rhynes @ VCC 10 November 2011
bicycle, path, health care, health, sidewalk, grant,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 November 2011.
Videos by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I., the bostongbr on YouTube.

-jsq

Health and safety through bicycles —Roy Taylor @ VCC 10 Nov 2011

Roy Taylor spoke first in Citizens to Be Heard at Thursday's Valdosta City Council meeting:

We need bicycle paths in this community, very very badly. I travel to Europe... and they have bicycle paths all over, and it helps our children as they are growing up. It helps us as adults.... It helps all of us.... It is good for our children, our community.

I want you to think about the health care cost that those bicycles can save. In the health care we have to pay, the hospitalization, the medical costs, if we keep our bodies in good shape.

You have a grant in here now of about $75,000 to $100,000 ... school money. I can think of no finer way for those children than to walk the sidewalk and to ride a bicycle.

That's right: Roy Taylor spoke in favor of a grant, and for bicycles. Bicyclers listened from the back before some of them spoke:

Citizens can video police in Atlanta

Ride your bicycle, have to show a drivers' license, get your camera stolen by police? Not in Atlanta any longer!

Bill Rankin writes some good news in the AJC, APD won't hinder citizens who videotape cops,

Faced with complaints from a citizen watchdog group, Atlanta police will stop interfering with people who videotape officers performing their duties in public, an agreement reached with the city Thursday says.

The settlement, which also calls for the city to pay $40,000 in damages, requires city council approval.

The agreement resolves a complaint filed by Marlon Kautz and Copwatch of East Atlanta, a group that films police activity with cell phones and hand-held cameras. The group has volunteers who go out on patrols and begin videotaping police activity when they come across it.

That's Copwatch of East Atlanta; here's their press release, including video of the incident.

Critical Mass, Valdosta, 24 Sep 2010

What's got sixty wheels and rides in a pack? Critical Mass, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 September 2010:

Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' legal right to the roads in Valdosta.

Natasha Fast explains it: