Sunday, May 17, 2009

Too bad I didn't have a camera tonight

Sunday evening, I had one of my most enjoyable rides I've had in a while. If I had not worked Saturday night, I might have been tempted to make it up to Trailnet's ride in St. Jacob, Ill., which uses some of the same roads that I plotted for the Tour de Stooges.

Instead, I decided to go to church, visit Belleville's Art on the Square festival and get a adjustment to my rear derailleur. By the time I got all that done, it was in the neighborhood of 5:30 p.m. I really needed to get a ride of about 30 miles in, so I hopped on my bike and started heading toward the MetroLink Trail and points east.

I wanted to hit one of my favorite cycling roads in the area, Funk School Road, an interesting road with mild hills southeast of Belleville. So after riding the trail all the way to Southwestern Illinois College. From there, I took the wide shoulder of Illinois 161 to Radio Range Road and took that to Illinois 158-177 and headed east to Renchler Road. I've always found Illinois 158-177 to be safe because it has 3 feet of pavement to the right of the white line. That's enough for me to feel safe, although I'm sure some riders may not be as comfortable on the road as I am.

I enjoy riding in the early evening. The photographer in me gets into the lighting that time of day, plus much of the scenery is very green because of all the rain we've had in the area. The rain has kept farmers out of their fields, meaning that some of them were blooming with wildflowers. Very nice!

I love Funk School Road not just because of the small hills, but because of the curves that make it interesting. The same goes for Jefferson Road and Reinneck Road.

I was a bit concerned when the sun hid behind some clouds that had formed before sunset, but I made it back in Belleville with a little bit of daylight to spare.

This is the time of year I love riding in the St. Louis area. We're a bit cooler than normal this spring, but the temperatures usually are perfect for cycling. The wildflowers and the lush greenery are a bonus.

If you live in or the near the metro-east, I recommend this ride. Enjoy!

Labels: Belleville, bicycle rides

Roger 1 comments 11:51 PM

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Gerry Frierdich update: A mixed bag

I have good news and news that some may see as troublesome about my friend Gerry "Chief" Frierdich. I'll start with the good news, but I hope you'll read on about developments in the court case against the driver of the vehicle that struck Gerry's recumbent bike.

Pat Colle, of Jerseyville, Ill., was the winner of the second of two Bacchetta recumbent bicycles that were raffled off to raise money for Gerry's ongoing recovery. Gerry pulled Pat's name from a pool of hundreds of raffle tickets during a Feb. 7 mouse race benefit in Belleville. According to Gerry's CaringBridge site, Pat bought the winning ticket from me back in January during the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's Midwest Bike Expo & Swap Meet in Collinsville.

Congratulations, Pat! Have fun riding your recumbent on the backroads of Jersey County!

As regular readers of this blog know, Gerry was paralyzed from the chest down on Aug. 17, 2007, when his recumbent was struck by a pickup truck on South Green Mount Road in Belleville. Gerry has made a lot of progress since then. The court case involving the person accused of driving the truck has not.

Keith Joseph McCoy, 24, was charged in late 2007 with two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a felony charge in Illinois. The case has sat in St. Clair County Circuit Court with little action being taken since then. Hearings, including one that had been scheduled for today, continually have been delayed.

The hearing was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 31 in Courtroom 409 of the St. Clair County Building in Belleville.

The only motion, other than routine motions for discovery information, that has been filed is one by McCoy's attorney, Richard Sturgeon, asking that McCoy's statements to Belleville police be suppressed. The motion contends that when police took a statement from McCoy immediately after the accident, that he was not advised of his constitutional right to remain silent, even though he was not free to leave the scene and that he was a suspect.

The motion also contends police made promises to McCoy to obtain a statement, but the motion does not detail the promises. To date, St. Clair County prosecutors have not filed a written answer to the motion.

Having covered the court system in Madison County back in the 1980s and early 1990s as a reporter and having first-hand experience with the system after the stabbing death of my brother, Wes, in 1996-97, I can say cases get delayed frequently for a variety of reasons.

While I'll continue reporting facts on the court case here, I really can't play the role of an advocate and voice opinions on an issue so close to home. While I avoid editing stories about Gerry as part of my job at the Belleville News-Democrat -- I'm much too close to Gerry and his fundraising efforts to edit the stories -- I still have to handle them as part of my role as a page designer. It's probably for the best that I stick to the facts here.

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, Gerry Frierdich, St. Clair County

Roger 1 comments 7:11 PM

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

More on MetroLink Bike Trail

After attending the public meeting Tuesday night about the extension of the MetroLink Bike Trail between the Belleville MetroLink station and the Memorial station, I'm persuaded that the $9 million project will be an asset for the communities of Belleville and Swansea.

Frankly, I was concerned about the project because of some serious design flaws on the existing MetroLink Trail between the Belleville station and Southwestern Illinois College and the Richland Creek Bikeway between the Belleville station and Third Street in Belleville. Those flaws include the lack of a safe way to cross Green Mount Road, excessively sharp turns in North End Park in Belleville and the use of square-off curbs on Second Street in Belleville.

The plans that I saw showed me that Thoovenot, Wade & Moerchen Inc., the engineering firm designing the project, had done its homework. Included in the project is an overpass at Illinois 159 (Illinois Street) , a busy four-lane highway. The trail also will go under existing overpasses at Illinois 161 and Sullivan Drive in Swansea and Frank Scott Parkway West in Belleville.

Trail users would be forced to cross Fullerton Road and Old Caseyville Road in Swansea. Fullerton can be busy at times, although not as bad as Green Mount Road, but there are some long stretches on the trail without stop signs, and that's a good thing for cyclists!

For the most part, the St. Clair County Transit District already owns the land because its part of the existing MetroLink right-of-way. Some land will need to be purchased at Illinois 159 to build the overpass.

In today's story about the meeting in the Belleville News-Democrat, some people expressed concerns about crime. "We love the bike path, but we're worried about what type of people can come through here," said Clarence Schaefer, 84.

Mike Barton, manager of Dutch Hollow Village, told the News-Democrat he doesn't want people trespassing through village property and has asked project managers to consider placing the path on the other side of the MetroLink tracks.

"Instead of crossing at Memorial station, it can cross at the Swansea station," Barton said. "You can see how close the homes are on this side compared to the other side."

I would recommend that people who have concerns about crime or property values check out some the resources available, including a fact sheet from Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (PDF) and the Web site for the Freinds of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Closer to home, many developers in the Edwardsville area have found that being near one of the Madison County Transit trails can be a major asset and have sought to make sure people in their subdivsions have easy assess to the trails.

Labels: Belleville, trails

Roger 0 comments 11:11 AM

Monday, January 05, 2009

MetroLink Bike Trail extension hearing set for Tuesday

The St. Clair County Transit District will hold an informational meeting Tuesday about the proposed extension of the walking and biking trail along the MetroLink light-rail tracks, the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The meeting will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the community room at High Mount School at 1721 Boul Ave. in Swansea, Ill. All people who are interested in the project are encouraged to attend the meeting to talk to representatives of the district and the engineers of the project.

The proposal includes a trail that will follow MetroLink from North End Park in Belleville through the Swansea MetroLink Station in Swansea and to the Memorial Hospital MetroLink Station in Belleville.

I suggest that if you care about bicycle trails in St. Clair County -- we're miles and miles behind neighboring Madison County -- you attend the meeting and give the district and engineers some input. Let's hope some of the design flaws in the current trails that serve Belleville can be avoided this time around.

Labels: Belleville, trails

Roger 0 comments 5:17 PM

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Own a piece of history — and an example of my handiwork!

The Belleville News-Democrat, like an overwhelming number of U.S. newspapers, sold out Wednesday because of the election of the junior senator from the great state of Illinois, Barack Obama, as president of these United States.

In response to that, the News-Democrat is selling commemorative items to mark the historic election.

You can download the Nov. 5 edition of the News-Democrat, including the historic front page reporting Obama's win, by going to the News-Democrat E-Edition. For $1.50, you can download the entire Nov. 5 edition, but that offer is only available through Tuesday, Nov. 11.

You can purchase a commemorative item showing the front page of the paper reporting Obama's win by going to The BND Store. Posters, sweatshirts, polo shirts, baseball jerseys, bags, cups, even beer steins are available — for prices as low at $11.99, and each item will show the front page reporting Obama's historic election.

In case you haven't figured it out, I designed the front page of that particular edition. While a lot of papers went with big, impressive poster fronts, which you can view at Newseum's front page archive from Nov. 5, we decided to put other stories on our front page that were important to our readers in addition to the big news about Obama. I was happy with the page.

And in case you're wondering, no, I do not get a commission if you buy one of those nifty commemorative items!

Labels: Belleville, newspapers, politics

Roger 0 comments 2:28 PM

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Friend of Gerry Frierdich earns well-deserved honor

Sandy Gore, the sparkplug behind fundraising efforts for injured recumbent cyclist and Belleville, Ill., portrait photographer Gerry "Chief" Frierdich, will be one of 12 people who will receive awards Thursday night at dinner held by The BASIC Initiative, a nonprofit group that works to bring community organizations together to collaborate on serving greater Belleville.

A story about the awards appears in today's Belleville News-Democrat. Needless to say, I was quite happy and surprised when I found out I was going to lay out a front page featuring Sandy and Gerry as the lead art.

I first met Sandy back in November 2007, shortly after the News-Democrat did a story about Gerry and mentioned her efforts to sell T-shirts to help out Gerry. Before that story was published, I had been thinking of ways on how the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society could help, but I wasn't quite sure whom I would have to contact to get the money to Gerry until I found out about Sandy.

From November through June 1 and beyond, I got hundreds of e-mails from Sandy concerning the ride, and she got hundreds of e-mails from me. Sandy's energy was contagious, and our group raised thousands of dollars for Gerry and drew more than 300 people on The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride, a healthy turnout for a first-time ride.

In a note to me today, Sandy confirmed what I already knew about her character:

"Roger, thank you very much for your kind words, but I'm just a small part of the big picture. I'm so proud of Chief for everything he has accomplished these last 14 months. ... All of us do such good things every day, from opening a door for someone to giving a smile to a passing stranger. Although we think these things are little, it means a lot to the recipient. Over these last 14 months, I've learned a great deal about myself and who I want to be. I've started doing things I have always thought about, but have never had the guts to follow through. Over the summer, I picked up the grocery store tab for a little old lady in line ahead of me. It was spur of the moment, and to say the least, she was shocked and very appreciative. Although I'll never know, my hope is that she was able to spend the money on something special for herself but, regardless, I hope it helped her out in some small way. It's up to us to take care of each other, day-in and day-out."

Although Gerry continues to improve, he still has a long ways to go. You can help. The Touring Cyclist bicycle shop in Fairview Heights and Bicycle World in Belleville are selling raffle tickets for a second Bachhetta recumbent bicycle, which will be awarded during a mouse race benefit for Gerry in February. Also, you still can donate to Gerry through Active.com.

Congratulations, Sandy, for all you've done to help Gerry through his difficult recovery!

Labels: Belleville, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 8:55 AM

Friday, October 10, 2008

Making sense of Belleville's Public Square

As long as motorists, cyclists and pedestrians pay a little bit attention, they should finally be able to make sense of downtown Belleville's Public Square.

For years, the Public Square has been the bane of vehicle operators. That was because many of them had no clue how to deal with it.

The Public Square intersection -- actually a traffic circle around the Veterans Memorial Fountain -- is at the junction of Illinois Street (Illinois Route 159) and Main Street.

Some motorists barge into the intersection with no regard to traffic already in the circle and no intention to yield. Others do yield, but then enter the intersection hoping the traffic already in the circle will yield to them. It was a confusing mess responsible for lots of accidents over the years.

The striping changes will make the Square more like a roundabout but with some differences, Belleville city engineer Tim Gregowicz told the Belleville News-Democrat. The graphic from the News-Democrat helps explain the changes.

"There will be 'Yield' signs for people coming up to the Square and 'Yield to pedestrian' signs at the crosswalks," he said. "Motorists coming into the Square will be expected to yield to traffic already in the Square."

There will be splitter traffic islands painted into each intersection with places where pedestrians can wait halfway across each street.

"For years people have wondered about how to drive around the fountain," Gregowicz said. "This should make that clearer."

In recent years, the Illinois Department of Transportation has built roundabouts in Highland, O'Fallon and Centreville. Many Tour de Stooges participants got to experience the Highland roundabout at U.S. 40 and Illinois Route 160 (Poplar Street) while driving to Lindendale Park, the starting point of the ride.

I'm sure you're wondering why Belleville's Public Square is a circle. From 1861 to 1972, the St. Clair County Courthouse was in the middle of the Public Square, with businesses and offices surrouding the building similar to other public squares throughout the country. The Veterans Memorial Fountain, originally built in the 1930s, was rebuilt in 1980, creating the current traffic circle.

Labels: Belleville

Roger 0 comments 9:25 AM

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Everything's just peachy!

With apologies to The Presidents of The USA, I'm gonna ride out in the country and I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches!

And you can, too!

Both of the St. Louis-area's main bicycling groups, the Gateway Council of Hostelling International and Trailnet, have Peach Pedal rides this weekend.

The Gateway Council's Peach Pedal takes place this Saturday and Sunday (July 26-27) at Eckert's Country Store, 951 S. Green Mount Road in Belleville, Ill. Sign-in both days take place from 8:30 to 11 a.m., and the cost of the ride is $15 for HI-USA members, $20 for non-members and $10 for children. The fee covers both days, so you can ride Saturday and Sunday. After the ride, you can enjoy a free frozen custard cone at Eckert's.

Trailnet's Bicycle Fun Club's Peach Pedal takes place Sunday (July 27) at Mills' Apple Farm, 11477 Pocahontas Road near Marine, Ill. Sign-in takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and the cost of the ride is $8 for members, $12 for non-members and $3 for children.

No matter which ride you choose, there will be plenty of peaches to buy this year in the metro-east. Last year, the metro-east peach crop was nearly destroyed by a hard April freeze, but Eckert's says there are plenty of large peaches to be had this year. This year’s cool, wet spring delayed the season by a week to 10 days. But that same delay has made the fruit larger than in typical years, an Eckert's spokesman says.

I don't know if there's millions of peaches at the two metro-east orchards, but there should be plenty for you!

Labels: Belleville, bicycle rides, Illinois

Roger 1 comments 3:47 PM

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Belleville roadwork a danger for cyclists

Cyclist Larry Luecking wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in today's edition of the Belleville News-Democrat. In it, he complains about road conditions on West Boulevard in the eastern part of the city.

(In case you're wondering why West Boulevard is in east Belleville, the road is named after a gentleman named West.)

After a recent resurfacing of West Boulevard, the surface of the road is now much higher, but the grates were left at the old street level, making them hazardous as they were before the positioning of the grates were changed. "All it would take is one moment of forgetfulness for a cyclist to be severely injured," Larry wrote.

Larry says he's sure there's other streets in Belleville with similar problems.

I don't know if there similar problems, but there are problems in or near Belleville and I know there are more in the St. Louis area. If you know of any, leave a comment. I'll get the ball rolling with four of them, two on roads and two on paths:

• The northbound lane of State Street Road near Lake Forest Drive in Belleville. Cyclists who enter the curve after a nice downhill have to be wary of a meter cover that's a bit below the road surface. If you hit that just wrong and at speed, you could be headed for a spill.
• Simmons Road north of O'Fallon. A bridge between Kyle and Bethel School roads has seams that are parallel to the flow of traffic. If you get your road tire stuck in one of those cracks, you're bound for a nasty fall.
• MetroLink Trail at North Green Mount Road in Belleville. I fear this is a major accident waiting to happen. Cyclists are forced to cross an extremely busy road to get to the other side of the trail. The concern here is that a cyclist -- especially a child -- who misjudges oncoming motorists' speed could be struck.
• Richland Creek Greenway Trail at Second Street in Belleville. Squared-off and high curbs make it somewhat difficult to safely make a turn onto the trail from Second Street.
  

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, safety

Roger 0 comments 11:07 PM

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Gerry Frierdich in the news

Previews for The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride appeared this week in two Illinois papers.

Teri Maddox of Belleville News-Democrat wrote an excellent preview of the ride in Thursday's edition of the paper.

"I can't believe how many people are coming out of the woodwork to donate money to me," Gerry told the News-Democrat. "It's crazy."

Gerry hopes to get back on the road soon with a hand-powered bicycle or "handcycle." He sees the chances of getting into another accident as minimal.

"If I would have been out there 10 minutes earlier or 10 minutes later, (the August accident) wouldn't have happened," Gerry told the News-Democrat. "It was a guy who fell asleep at the wheel, and he just plowed into me. What can you do to avoid that? Nothing. You've got to get back on the horse, so to speak."

The St. Clair Journal, part of the Suburban Journals chain of newspapers in the St. Louis area, published a feature on Wednesday about the ride.

Reporter Aaron Sudholt did an interview with Gerry, in which he revealed that even though his neck was broken in the Aug. 19, 2007, accident, his spinal column was not completely severed and that the swelling in his neck may go down enough that he could walk again.

"I'm taking it day by day," he said. "I literally don't know what I'll be able to do. There's a possibility a year from now I could be walking, but I don't know."

That article also notes that Keith J. McCoy, 23, the man who drove the truck that struck Gerry, will be facing a pre-trial hearing June 19. McCoy is charged in St. Clair County Circuit Court with two felony counts of Aggravated Driving under the Influence.

(Note: This post is an update version of a post that originally appeared Wednesday, May 28.)

Labels: Belleville, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 10:45 AM

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride

We hope you're planning to attend The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery
Bicycle Ride (http://www.chiefgetwell.com/roadtorecovery.htm) this Sunday, June 1, at Central Junior High School, 1801 Central School Road in Belleville, Ill. Here's some last-minute details:

REGISTRATION: Online registration
(http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1532377) closes at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 29, but you can sign up the day of the ride at the school. Although there is no discount for registering early, it does ensure that you will get our T-shirt, which includes artwork by Signal Hill School student Louis Holm. The cost of the ride is $25 for adults, $15 for children 13-17 and $5 for children 5-12. Registration is from 7 to 10 a.m., and you may leave anytime from 8 to 10 a.m.

FREE HELMETS: The first 50 children ages 5-12 will receive free bicycle helmets! The helmets are being donated by the Columbia,Ill.-based Helmets First! program, which is led by Dr. Joseph Cangas of Illini Pediatrics. Helmets First!

ST. LOUIS REGIONAL BICYCLE FEDERATION: The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation will have a booth at our event to promote bicycle advocacy. We think it's appropriate for the group to be represented at a benefit ride for a seriously injured cyclist, and we hope the event will improve the group's visability in Illinois.

LIVE MUSIC AND KIDS ACTIVITIES: The bluegrass-country band Pick'n'likin will perform from 11:30 a.m.-1:30, and a rock 'n' roll cover band will play from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Lunch will be sold at a nominal cost. Non-riders are welcome to join us for lunch, the music and the opportunity to be with Gerry. Face painting, balloons and other entertainment will be available for kids.

USE METROLINK AND BIKE TO THE EVENT: With the price of gas the way it is, we know you want to save a few bucks when you can. It's a 3.1-mile bike trip (one-way) from the Belleville MetroLink station to Central Junior High School. After getting off MetroLink, take Scheel Street across Jackson Avenue. The name of the street then changes to Church Street. Take Church Street to East Main Street. Continue on East Main to the Veterans Memorial Fountain. At the fountain, turn south on South Illinois Street (Illinois Route 159) and take Illinois Street about 1.6 miles to Westhaven School Road. Turn left on Westhaven, and that will take you to the school. Here's a link to a map: http://snipurl.com/2awuy

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, bicycling, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 2:31 PM

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Ride

Just a reminder: There's still time to sign up for The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride on Sunday, June 1, at Central Junior High School in Belleville, Ill.

You can register for the ride in three ways. You can download the flier for the event and mail in your registration, but mail registrations must be postmarked by Friday, May 23. You can register online through Thursday, May 29, via Active.com (Active.com charges a small handling fee). You also can sign up the day for the ride.

If you can't come to the ride, you still can make a donation. You can make a donation online through Active Giving, or you can mail the donation to the Gerard Frierdich Trust Fund, c/o Bud & Sandy Gore, 2391 South 11th Street Road, Belleville, IL 62226.

Gerry has made considerable progress since the Aug. 19, 2007, accident -- Gerry's recumbent bicycle was struck by a pickup truck on South Greenmount Road in Belleville -- that left him paralyzed from the chest down. However, he still has a long way to go, and the proceeds from the event will help with his future medical needs and other necessities.

Nearly as impressive as Gerry's progress is the outpouring of support he has received from the Belleville and cycling communities. For example:

• Gerry rode a Bacchetta recumbent bicycle. Bacchetta donated not one, but two, recumbent bicycles for us to raffle. The winner of the first drawing will be announced in September at the Millstadt (Ill.) Biathlon, and the second will be awarded in February 2009. You can download the flier to find out how to buy a ticket, plus tickets will be available at various St. Louis-area events and at The Touring Cyclist shop in Fairview Heights, Ill. Keep in mind that winners from outside the St. Louis metropolitan area will be responsible for shipping and handling costs.
• Tom Egel, a cyclist from Ann Arbor, Mich., has taken up Gerry's cause. Tom plans on riding a century during this year's One Helluva Ride in Michigan, and he's set up a page at Active Giving to accept donations for Gerry. In about a week, Tom has raised more than $900 for Gerry! If you're motivated to raise money for Gerry in a similar fashion, I will be happy to help you set up a fundraising page. Just e-mail me at bike2eat@rogerkramercycling.org, and I will fill you in on the details.
• The organizers of The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride have obtained $13,000 in cash and in-kind sponsorships for the event. That will insure that all the money raised by the ride will go to Gerry. We are grateful for all the help we have received from businesses and individuals in the Belleville and St. Louis area!

Anything you can do help Gerry will be greatly appreciated!

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, bicycling, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 9:20 AM

Friday, April 25, 2008

Stooging, not blogging

I've been way too busy this week to do a lot of meaningful blogging, so here's a summary of the week so far:

Tour de Stooges: With the event almost a week away, most of my time not spent at the Belleville News-Democrat or in bed has been spent ironing out final details of the Tour de Stooges on Saturday, May 3, in beautiful Highland, Ill. We have well more than 200 pre-registered riders so far, and we expect a big rush before online registration closes at noon Wednesday.

Bicycle World: My old buddy Hal Leventhal at the Belleville, Ill.-based Bicycle World wanted a Web site, and now he has one: bellevillebicycleworld.com. The version I created for him is a rough draft just to get something on the Web. I'll be working on the real version of the site after Tour de Stooges dies down.

Roger's on Twitter: I decided to create a Twitter site. Why, I really don't know what I'll end up doing with that site, but I'll probably use it to promote items on this site plus briefly discuss personal things that don't really fit on this blog. So far, my only two followers are Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. I'm sure they really care what's going on in my life, but I'm following them just for the fun of it. If you have a Twitter site and want to follow me, be my guest!

Belleville News-Democrat: My employer has a knack of throwing special projects my way either in the weeks before Tour de Stooges or when I go on vacation, but both of these projects I'm working on are worth the effort I'm putting into them. I can't publicly discuss them at the moment because I don't want to tip off the competition, but they will be of interest to our readers.

Don't expect to see too much here in the coming week, but I hope you're keeping up with the news about Tour de Georgia on the news feeds in the right-hand column and seeing what other bicycle bloggers have to say.

Labels: Belleville, Tour de Stooges, Web site

Roger 0 comments 12:35 AM

Friday, March 07, 2008

Belleville to develop new bicycle trail

In case you didn't read about it in today's Belleville News-Democrat, the city of Belleville, Ill., is planning to build a new bicycle trail.

The West Belleville Bikeway would connect Citizens Park with Dapron Drive near Memorial Hospital. By my calculations, that's only about a mile and a half, but the city hopes the trail eventually extends north and south to allow people to ride their bikes from one side of town to the other.

The News-Democrat also reported that the neighboring community Swansea also applied for a state grant for the second phase of its bike trail, extending the trail from Centennial Park to the MetroLink Trail and East Belleville Bikeway in Belleville. Village leaders had put the phase on hold last year while they waited for Metro, the St. Louis mass transit agency that operates the MetroLink light-rail system, to complete plans for a second phase of its trail so the two could connect.

Angela Fletcher, a spokeswoman for Metro, stated in an e-mail to the News-Democrat that the next phase of Metro's trail is planned to run three miles from North End Park, where it connects with the East Belleville Bikeway, to the Memorial Hospital MetroLink station.

Even with the proposed trails, we have a long ways to go. Our neighbors to the north, Madison County, has about 100 miles of trails. St. Clair County only has about 15 miles.

The News-Democrat article also includes a quote from Jim Klenn, the co-producer and director of the documentary "Tour de Donut: Gluttons for Punishment." Not surprisingly, Jim is in favor of extending the Belleville area's trail system.

Labels: Belleville, St. Clair County, trails

Roger 0 comments 1:43 PM

Monday, March 03, 2008

Reunited and it feels so good

I know the hardy souls who are able to ride their bicycles all year long won't be impressed, but I got around to getting in my first 14 outdoor cycling miles of 2008 on Sunday.

Even with the strong, steady winds that usually go along with unseasonably warm days in Midwest -- we were up in the 70s -- I had to get out Sunday. I rode from my house to lunch at the St. Louis Bread Co. restaurant in downtown Belleville, then I rode the MetroLink Trail to Southwestern Illinois College.

There were a lot of families and kids on the trail, which I think it is a good thing. It's good to see people using what few trails we have here in St. Clair County, and I hope someday officials in this county will learn something from our neighbors to the north, Madison County, and build more trails here.

Dave Luecking, who writes the 10 Speed blog for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, also hit the trails Sunday, and he offers a few tips in trail etiquette in Part 1 of his Bicycling Survival Guide. I agree with Dave with the points he makes about cyclists, but my experience on trails also is that a few non-cycling users of trails also can be less than courteous.

I blew a few chances this winter to get some decent miles in because of work on the Tour de Stooges and The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Ride. I tried being a winter cyclist years ago, but my lungs get too sore, no matter what I did, because of residual effects from my childhood asthma.

It looks like it may be a while before I get back outside on the bike. We're expecting about 7 inches of snow tonight and Tuesday and cold temperatures the rest of week.

Labels: Belleville, cycling, trails

Roger 0 comments 11:33 AM

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Belleville dog is Numero Uno

The world's second-most famous beagle -- sorry, Snoopy remains No. 1 -- was bred and born right here in Belleville, Ill.

Tuesday night, Uno won Best of Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.

"We knew from the very beginning that he is a special one," Uno's breeder and owner, Kathy Weichert of Belleville, told the Belleville News-Democrat before the win. Weichert owns K-Run Kennels in Belleville. "He is the kind of dog every breeder dreams of producing. There is no other way to put it. He is what you strive for."

The Page A1 I designed for the News-Democrat was a bit of a headache because the award wasn't given until about 10 p.m. CST Tuesday. I'm supposed to have our first edition Page A1 out by 11:30 p.m. Plenty of time, right?

Not really.

We had one picture taken Monday already in the slot, but I was hoping for a photo from that evening to put in there. The photos from The Associated Press didn't start trickling in until about 10:15. I had picked one of Uno howling after his victory, but I was hoping for something better.

The photo we ended up using came about 10:40, but there were a few problems. One, the original photo was a horizontal photo, and the photo had to be a vertical because I had no time to do a completely new layout. Two, Uno's genitalia were clearly showing. Three, Uno's handler had one of his hands very close to Uno's crotch.

I took a few moments to crop the photo to what I needed and rushed it to our pre-press department for toning to make sure it reproduces correctly on our printing press. Many thanks to Jill Beiter for taking the late photo and working so quickly to get it right.

It took a few more minutes to make final crops to the photos and cuts to the stories to make everything fit. It was 11:05 p.m. before I could print proofs for my copy desk colleagues for our last chance to catch mistakes before they go to print. There were other deadline pages that also needed to be proofed, so I did let go of the page until 11:34, four minutes late.

After deadline, several of us had a late drink at the Blue Agave club in downtown Belleville. One of my colleagues, Dale Parker, seemed really excited about the beagle's victory.

"They ought to put a statue of the beagle on the Public Square!" Dale exclaimed. "They should have a parade for the beagle!"

Given that it doesn't take much for Belleville to have a parade and that they're well-attended by the public -- people chain lawnchairs to sign posts more than seven hours in advance of the city's annual Shrine Circus Parade in June -- I would not be surprised to see Uno atop a Belleville firetruck cruising down Main Street.

Labels: Belleville, dogs, newspapers

Roger 0 comments 10:24 PM

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride

I'm pleased to announce that registration for The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride is now open!

The ride will take place Sunday, June 1, at Central Junior High School in Belleville, Ill. Registration will be from 7 to 10 a.m. The cost of the ride is $25 for adults, $15 for children 13-17 and $5 for children 5 and under. You can sign up in one of three ways:

• Through Active.com (Active.com charges a small processing fee)
• By mail, using this PDF form.
• You also can sign up the day of the ride.

If you're unable to attend the ride, but still want to make a donation, you can do so through Active.com.

In case you're not familiar about the story of Gerry Frierdich, Gerry was critically injured Aug. 19, 2007, when his recumbent bicycle was struck by a pickup truck on South Green Mount Road in Belleville, Ill. The driver of the truck, Keith Joseph McCoy, has been charged in St. Clair County Circuit Court with two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a felony charge in Illinois. The case is pending.

The accident left Gerry paralyzed from the chest down, and proceeds from the ride will be used to pay for Gerry's future medical care and other necessities.

Gerry, a Belleville native, is a 1977 Cathedral Grade School grad and a 1981 Althoff Catholic High School grad.

After high school, he remained in Belleville where, for more than 20 years, he worked as an award-winning Master Photographer with Crafty Eye Studio in Belleville. Gerry has earned the respect of others in his field as well as the thousands he has photographed. Gerry’s name, face and talent are known throughout Belleville and the surrounding communities. He has set the bar through his photography by his ability to capture the best in each and every one of us.

Before the accident, Gerry not only was a cyclist, he was an avid golfer, runner, boater, skier, snowboarder and archer.

In addition to seeking riders, we are seeking sponsors for the event. To learn more about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, visit the ride's Web site.

We hope you will be able to help out Gerry and spread the word.

Labels: accidents, Belleville, Gerry Frierdich, tours

Roger 0 comments 12:56 PM

Friday, February 08, 2008

Man charged in bike trail attack

The Belleville News-Democrat reported today that a man has been charged in the 2006 attack of a woman on the MetroLink Bike Trail in Belleville, Ill.

The attack prompted organizers of the Tour de Belleville, a nighttime ride held in July, to use proceeds from the 2007 ride to help purchase emergency call towers for the trail.

Michael W. White, formerly of Cahokia, Ill., was charged Feb. 1 with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery and criminal sexual abuse. His bond has been set at $200,000.

The woman was jogging on the trail near McKinley Avenue the night of the attack when the suspect knocked her to the ground, got on top of her, covered her mouth with his hand and grabbed her breast, police said. He let go after she managed to kick him in the groin.

This year's Tour de Belleville is slated for Friday, July 11. Phil Elmore, the chief organizer for the event, says proceeds from this year's ride will be used to install flashing signals on the bike trail at busy intersections within the city's jurisdiction.

Labels: Belleville, Tour de Belleville, trails

Roger 0 comments 11:58 AM

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Chief is coming home!

Gerry "Chief" Frierdich is coming home today!

Gerry, the Belleville, Ill., recumbent cyclist and award-winning photographer critically injured in August 2007 when his bicycle was struck by a pickup truck, will return home after spending months at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis County and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Gerry is paralyzed from the chest down, and he has limited use of his arms. Friends of Gerry have been remodeling his home so it will be accessible to him.

I've been spending much of the week working on a poster and fliers for the event, hence the lack of posts this week. The work on the benefit ride, planned for May 31, is much more important than working on this blog.

In addition to the ride and other events in 2008, the Kiwanis Club of Fairview Heights will be putting on The Branson on the Road show April 11-12. If you purchase tickets with the form at the ChiefGetWell.com Web site, a portion of the proceeds will go to Gerry's trust fund.

As always, you can learn more about Gerry at the ChiefGetWell.com site.

Labels: accidents, Belleville, cycling, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 2:40 PM

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Chief's Road to Recovery

If you're looking for a bicycle ride for a good cause, keep Saturday, May 31, open for Chief's Road to Recovery bicycle ride in Belleville, Ill.

This is the benefit ride for Gerry "Chief" Frierdich, the Belleville recumbent cyclist and photographer critically injured Aug. 19 when he was struck by a pickup truck on South Green Mount Road in Belleville.

Friends and family of Gerry, along with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society and the Touring Cyclist store in Fairview Heights, Ill., met earlier today to start making plans for the ride. In the weeks to come, we will be seeking sponsorships from Belleville-area businesses to make the ride a success.

Also in the weeks to come, we will be setting up a Web page for the ride at the ChiefGetWell.com site, which provides updates about Gerry's recovery, and setting up online registration for the ride through Active.com. When both sites become operational, we'll post information here and other cycling Web sites to spread the word.

Gerry is making progress in his recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, but there's still a long way to go. Gerry's unable to walk or ride a bike, but he is able to move his arms.

There's a strong possibility Gerry will return to Belleville this month. Proceeds from the ride will be used to help pay for his rehabilitation, renovations needed for his home and other expenses not covered by insurance.

Labels: accidents, Belleville, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 0 comments 9:46 PM