Create WV Conference on the Future to be Held In Richwood

Excited to be a part of the Create West Virginia Conference planning team this year.

Even more excited that it's going to be in my hometown of Richwood this year.

CHARLESTON, WV – Nicholas County’s City of Richwood will be the site of the 2013 Create West Virginia Conference, Thursday, October 24 through Saturday, October 26. The subject is The Future. 

“Richwood? Richwood has no conference facilities,” is the typical response to that news. In fact, the city, with its 29 boarded-up storefronts on Main Street, would appear to be a highly unlikely location for a conference that has attracted as many as 400 conferees in the past. “It’s true that it’s a creative challenge to have the conference in Richwood,” says Rebecca Kimmons, the 2013 conference director, “which is exactly the point. It’s one thing to go to a nice hotel and talk about the issues many West Virginia communities face. It’s another to be there. We considered several distressed towns around the state. Richwood’s Mayor Robert Johnson was very excited about the prospect of the Create Conference, and proactively encouraged us to come. It turns out that Richwood has more facilities than meets the eye.” Richwood High School will be the site of the conference, with keynote speeches to be delivered in the school’s comfortable and well-appointed 500 seat theater.Break-out sessions will also be held in the high school, and some meals will be served there. Students and teachers will have access to some conference proceedings. Keynote speakers lined up so far include Dr. Thomas Frey, Google’s favorite futurist; Dr. Naomi Stanford, an organizational design expert whose TEDx Talk on the future of work can be found on the Intenet; Dr. Greg Bowman, newly named associate dean of the WVU College of Law, whose topic will creating professionals who can go anywhere; and Thomas Worlledge, the West Virginia architect whose award-winning design for the Williamson Smart Office won a top award at The Building Conference last January. His topic will be “Don’t Touch That Town—Yet.”

The high school, to be renamed Create School during the conference, is a short, relatively level walk from Main Street, which the conference planning team is planning to transform into the Village of Create, West Virginia. Sally Barton, executive director of the Tamarack Foundation, is working with the team to populate the village with professional artisans and artists who will set up shop in as many storefronts as possible. Building owners are being contacted for permission to use their storefronts in much the same fashion as booths at a festival.

Conference food will be designed and prepared under the supervision of Chefs Dale Hawkins and Tim Urbanic. Hawkins is the proprietor of Fish Hawk Acres, a supplier of locally sourced, responsibly grown food, and Urbanic, who is listed on the Website BestChefsAmerica.com, operates Café Cimino in Sutton, in partnership with his wife, Melody. Most conferees will stay in Summersville lodgings, about a 30-minute drive west on WV 39. “We’re planning to shuttle our guests to and from conference proceedings, and we’ll use that time to both entertain and inform our riders,” Kimmons says. Limited lodging will be available in Richwood, but plans are not yet finalized. 

“We don’t aim to ‘fix’ Richwood by holding a three-day conference there,” Kimmons emphasizes. “The city is engaged in a thorough, multi-faceted assessment and planning process through the WV Community Development Hub’s Blueprint Community program that will enable the residents there to come up with their own long-term remedies. 

“Create West Virginia’s goal is to bring some of the country’s best thinkers and doers to our doorstep, to engage with our state’s own visionaries in many different disciplines—business, applied science, education, design, and the arts,” Kimmons explains. “The conversations and connections made at previous Create WV conferences have born some interesting and long-term results. Create Huntington and Create Buckhannon have adopted innovation economy principals in their city planning processes, and many conversations around the state have been infused with innovation economy language and concepts. 

“The Create West Virginia Conference is broadly inclusive, a place where you can expect straight talk about real issues,” Kimmons continues. “The gathering really does serve to empower communities to see themselves as drivers of their own destinies. Looking at ourselves through the new economy prisms of diversity, entrepreneurship, education, quality of place, and technology offers an innovation context for growth.”

For more information, visit www.createwv.org.

Hack3rcon Registration is Open

Hack3rCon Registration from The 304 Geeks on Vimeo.

Register for Hack3rcon here.

Hck3rCon 2010: Only $40 for the entire weekend. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Hackers for Charity.

Hack3rcon

The 304Geeks will be hosting "Hack3rCon", the first of its kind Information Security Conference in this State!


http://www.hack3rcon.org

Register Now!


Events:
Ethical Hacking Workshops with the guys that created, teach and develop Backtrack, the most widely distributed open source penetration testing toolkit.

We have a full day of special gust discussion on everything from advanced password cracking in 2010 to detecting and stopping intruders to hands on hacking lads.

That is right, we will be holding a hacking village all weekend. Get hands on experience on our private network. Experience mentor will be on hand to guide you through the exercises. Prizes***

We will also be hold a Hacker's Capture the Flag event! Go against other ethical hackers in an attempt to get all the flags first!!!

*****WINNER GETS A NETBOOK PREINSTALLED WITH BACKTRACK!!!

Special Guests:

Dave Kennedy a.k.a. Rel1k Creator of SET
Adrian Crenshaw a.k.a. Irongeek - Security Researcher
Dennis Boas - **Classified**
Martin Bos a.k.a Purehate - Core Developer Backtrack-Linux
Lee Baird a.k.a. LeeRock - Security Consultant, Ciphent
Mark Baggett - SANS Instructor, Security Blogger - Pauldotcom


$10 Hack3rCon All Access Weekend Pass when you purchase a CharCon weekend pass. (requires pre-registration before the event)

Keep an eye out for technology driven events and contest that will be host by the 304geeks!!

The 304Geeks is a local technology group here in Charleston. It was founded in 2009 by Rob Dixon and myself.

More on Hack3rCon to come!!

West Virginia Needs a Better Hacker Community

First let us define the term hacker. The word hacker has been adopted by the press to mean someone who breaks the law using a computer. Some hackers are criminals, but most are not. It's sort of like saying all motorcycle clubs are outlaw gangs. Hackers push the boundaries of technology, and sadly some hackers push the boundaries of the law and end up in jail.

Hackers build things. Hackers secure our networks. Hackers built the Internet.

To get hackers out from in front of their computer screens and to start networking I co-founded a technology group called 304Geeks. The purpose of 304Geeks is to give people interested in technology and computer security a way to network. Hackers are not always the most social of people. Since we started the group last year our gatherings have been rather small.



Most gatherings are six or less people. We would like to see that change. There has been some talk of building a hacker space, but we are going to need a lot more people to make that happen.

There are a couple of events this year of interest to hackers. First there is the First Annual AIDE Conference at Marshall University. AIDE is short for the Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence. The First Annual AIDE Conference is July 27, 28, and 29 at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center. 304Geeks co-founder Rob Dixon and I will be speaking on the first day of the conference.

Rob is also working on putting together a mini-con and capture the flag event in October, and we have a verbal commitment from a computer security a-lister who has spoken at a number of hacker conferences, including DefCon, Notacon, PhreakNIC, and ShmooCon, to come speak and help with capture the flag. I will post more information once we confirm the details.

Rob is also a board member of Hackers For Charity, an organization started by security expert and hacker Johnny Long to match the hacker community with technology skills for people in need. We would like to see 304Geeks get more involved in Hackers For Charity. Rob and I attended a Metasploit class in Louisville in May. The proceeds of that event went to Hackers for Charity. Rob also spent time working the Hackers for Charity booth at DefCon. We are interested in trying One Laptop Per West Virginia Child under the HFC banner.

You can learn more about 304Geeks by visiting us at 304Geeks.com, the 304Geeks Google Group, or by following me on Twitter at twitter.com/oncee or by following Rob on Twitter at twitter.com/304geek.

As for the term "hacker", we're taking it back.

304blogs Social Media Meet-up Wednesday Feb. 17th at 5:15 pm at Capitol Roasters

304blogs Meet-up Wednesday at 5:15 pm

304blogs Meet-up

Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 5:15 pm

Capitol Roasters

160 Summers Street

Charleston, WV

Leave me a comment if you need directions.

10 Questions

One of my favorite things I've done since I start contributing to Shouts and Hollers again is 10 Questions. So far I've done email interviews with Flare Baroshi, Rebecca Burch, and Rudy Panucci. Another one is coming soon so stay turned.

Update: Just added an interview with Sharon Lyn Stackpole this evening.

Google Now Personalizes Everyone’s Search Results

This video explains the change in detail.

Vampire Mafia - Flare Baroshi

Happy Halloween Everyone!

304blogs Meet-up Today at 5:15 pm

304blogs Meet-up

Today at 5:15 pm

Capitol Roasters

Summers Street

Charleston, WV

Leave me a comment if you need directions.

My New Favorite Trace Artist Flare Baroshi

As many of you know I'm a huge fan of electronic music, but Charleston doesn't have much of an electronic music scene. I was happy and surprised to find local trance artist Flare Baroshi in the latest episode of Radio Free Charleston. Her track "The Vampire Mafia" really rocks.


RFC 85

RFC Archives | MySpace Video

You can find more about more about Flare Baroshi on from her YouTube Channel.

I'm hoping "The Vampire Mafia" gets cut into a standalone video.

Remembering My Father

As many of you know my father passed away on Friday afternoon. My father read this blog religiously. He was always bothering me about posting more. Things got pretty quiet over here once I discovered Twitter and Facebook, two services my father never understood or joined.

As I wrote his obit last night I realized there are many things that needed to be said about my father that don't fit into the obit. My father was a coal miner from the time he was a teenager until he was forced into early retirement due to a back injury. While I was glad he got to retire early, my grandfather Gardner died in a mining accident when my father was 14, and he was in constant pain from the injury for the rest of his life.

My father was a member of the West Virginia National Guard. He worked his way up from Private to Staff Sergeant with Detachment-1 157th Military Police Company based in Richwood, WV. As a member of the Guard he helped rescue miners trapped in a flooded mine at Hominy Falls, was called to keep the peace during various floods in WV and at the State Penitentiary at Moundsville when prisoners took five guards hostage. And he responded with other rescuers to Buffalo Creek to retrieve the bodies and comfort the living. One of my favorite pictures of my father is in his uniform with my little sister when she is about three. (I don't have that picture here or I would post it.) When I was around seven my father purchased me an Army uniform at the PX while he was at "summer camp'. I have fond memories of wearing it in the Cherry River Festival Parade.

157th. Military Police Company Camp Dawson, West Virginia, August 22 to June 1968

My father is far left in the second row

My father was an amateur radio operator. In 1998 and in 1996 he and other amateur radio operators spend tireless hours providing flood relief and communications to Marlinton and surrounding areas. He came up the old way in ham radio. He first built his own Heath Kit radio and learned morse code. When I decided to enter the hobby in the late 1990s he was very proud.

My Father Loved to Cook

My father died young. He was born in 1942. My father had four brothers and two sisters. He also leaves behind my mom, my sister, and a granddaughter. We leaned he had stage IV cancer the first week of July. We all knew this day would come, but we thought we had more time. I've spend the past week sitting with him as he battled cancer. First in a hospital room and finally in a hospice house.

My father had many friends, but I don't think he knew how many friends he had. In the end my father wanted no funeral nor flowers. As we prepare to bury him in a private ceremony tomorrow, thanks for taking the time to help me remember my father In lieu of flowers we ask you make a donation to Bowers Hospice House in Beckley, WV.

My father always said he wanted someone to sing 'Sweet Beulah Land' at his funeral. Since in his last days he requested no funeral, this one is for you dad:

Yuenos & Wings Blues Things at Power Park

New Art at the Restore

Protest bad East End commerical development

Not everyone is happy about Charleston developer Bill Ellis' plan to build a new Dollar General store on Washington Street East near Ruffner Walk.

CURA approves unpopular East End store

Amy Williams Sewing Classes at Taylor Books

I've also heard Mark Wolfe might be teaching an iPhone class.

One Laptop Per West Virginia Child

While we have done a pretty good job of putting computers in West Virginia classrooms and getting broadband in the rural parts of West Virginia. We have done nothing to put laptops in the hands of every West Virginia child.

The economic reality is that not all WV families can afford to buy there children laptops. This is a disservice to the children of WV, and I call today for a private/public partnership to fund this project.

One laptop per WV child can be achieved with inexpensive netbooks running either Windows XP or linux. With this laptops children who do not currently have access to their own computers at home could write, make music, learn to program, and do homework.

If public funds are not made available, this project could be funded with private money from the WV blogging community, or from some other online donation model.

Please leave you suggestions as to how we can achieve one laptop per West Virginia child in the comments.

New Works by Sharon Lyn Stackpole Opening Next Week at The Purple Moon

Excited to see new works from one of my favorite artist, Sharon Lyn Stackpole, scheduled to open during next weeks FestivALL Art Walk at the Purple Moon. '3 Art Openings - 1 Night' will also feature 'Hard Times: a new dollar for america' and Dario Cardenia from Italy back for another FestiALL show.

'A Better West Virginia Challenge' 2009

Jason Keeling has posted a new challenge for West Virginia Day this year. Keeling who has the A Better West Virginia blog, hosted a challenge last year were WV bloggers changed WV stereotypes. This year Keeling challenges WV bloggers and Twitter users to identify challenges and obstacles facing West Virginia and offering solutions.

Jason writes:

"I am working various media channels to promote the challenge and greatly appreciate your potential contribution, no matter how large or small. Last year we countered stereotypes. This year the objective is to facilitate conversation about obstacles and solutions in West Virginia.

Thank you for your consideration and feel free to contact me with questions.

Sincerely,
Jason Keeling
p.s. – For those on Twitter, you can update thoughts there using the #aBetterWV tag, which allows everyone’s comments to be tracked.
__________________________________

Keeling Strategic Communications
P.O. Box 7423
Cross Lanes, WV 25356

Mobile | 304.989.3262

jason@keelingstrategic.com

Visit our blog at aBetterWestVirginia.com

It's Almost Time for FestivALL

When A City Becomes A Work of Art

This years list of events are too long to list here. For the complete 2009 schedule see the FestivALL website. The events run from June 19 until June 28 this year.

Are you part of the Underground?

http://24theunderground.wordpress.com/

“Y” I Give to the YWCA

http://24theunderground.wordpress.com/

Art Walk Video

Great Art Walk Video by Jerry Fugate.


Jerry we'd like to see your stuff on Shouts and Hollers.

304blogs on MyZ 10 pm News

I was interviewed via Twitter for a feature on 304blogs for MyZ 10 pm News. It will air tonight.

Sharon Lyn Stackpole at the Purple Moon

Looking forward to attending the opening reception for "Filters of color, words & light" Works by Sharon Lyn Stackpole" tonight at 6 pm at The Purple Moon.

Are you ready for 10 digit dialing

The new 681 area code goes into effect on Saturday. No one will be assigned the new area code right a way. Only new numbers will receive the new 681 area code. All old number will keep the old 304 area code.

The big change is you will now have to dial 304 + the seven digit number to dial a local numbers.

CharCon - This weekend

This weekend gamers will gather at the Charleston Civic Center for two days. For more info go to charcon.org.

Jesco White at the Empty Glass tonight

Jesco White returns to the Empty Glass stage tonight for the first time in a long time. Some of you might remember Jesco from the documentary Dancing Outlaw.




Here's a sample from Dancing Outlaw:

Sorry about the audio.

If you go it's important to remember that Jesco is a real person. He isn't a character made up by an actor like Unknown Hinson. His jokes can be corny, but laugh anyway.

iPhone APP RjDj: A Soundtrack For Your Life

This iPhone application is hard to explain. Let just say I'm addicted to it now. I downloaded it last night, but it was a little too quiet to test. I used it on the way to work this morning and really enjoyed it.

I agree with TechCrunch , "The application is difficult to describe and on paper it sounds sort of silly." Check out the video below for more details.

Virgil's New Project

Charleston restaurateur Virgil Sadorra wants to help people live downtown. Virgil, owns and operates Cilantro's in the old Delish spot on McFarland Street and Delish Express on Washington Street East wants to add another title to his resume: loft developer.

Why is Sadorra's project different? First is the price point, he said. A move-in-ready, 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath loft will start at about $200,000, he said.

His price is based on what people are asking for, he said. He's targeting the young professional crowd, who, in some cases, are already paying $600 to $800 a month for apartment rents, he said.

A $200,000 mortgage wouldn't cost that much more - in the $1,000 to $1,200 range, he said.

"And you own it," he said.

His plans call for movable walls so residents can change the layout if they choose, he said.

There will be on-site parking and other amenities, including a rooftop pavilion and workout room. Also in the plans are a tenant grocery store and room service, he said.

The grocery store will feature carryout pastas and Sadorra's signature sauces once featured at the McFarland Street Delish.

Why do this project now?

Sadorra admits that downtown living isn't for everyone. With a wife and two small children it doesn't make sense for his family anymore.

But the want is there, he said.

He points out that the recent downtown loft walks by the Charleston Area Alliance's Generation Charleston, a young professional's organization, have had 100 attendees.

For now, Sadorra is finishing up details with a contractor and architect. He doesn't have a start date on the project, but he wants it done sooner rather than later.

I wish Virgil all the luck in the world hope he see results soon on this really cool project. I also look forward to seeing what he does with revamping the Vandalia Lounge on Hale Street.

www.visitappalachia.com

I get a few press releases. None have turned into posts until now. Today I received a email about www.visitappalachia.com.

Dear Mr. Gardner,

I'm working with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to get the word out about a new website devoted to travel in Appalachia, www.visitappalachia.com, and I think readers of "Oncee@Blogger" would appreciate a chance to see what this site has to offer.

Not only does www.visitappalachia.com provide information about the 13 states that make up Appalachia, it also includes access to the recently released Appalachian Driving Tours Map. Commissioned by the ARC, the map features 28 driving trails throughout the Appalachian region, each of which leads to a broad array of historical, archaeological, cultural, and scenic sites.

Autumn is the best time of the year to visit Appalachia, and taking one of the tours found on www.visitappalachia.com is a great way to catch the foliage and to learn more about the multitude of sights the region has to offer; the website is as useful whether you're journeying across the tree-lined roads of West Virginia or down along the river in Mississippi. What's more, visitors can search for drives by state as well as by theme. As a result, www.visitappalachia.com can just as easily help you plan a trip through Tennessee as through Pennsylvania, while pointing out sights of interest whether you love music or history.

In addition, www.visitappalachia.com has a Google maps feature to help travelers plan their next driving vacation to Appalachia, as well as links to the 13 Appalachian state tourism offices for additional information.

I noticed that your blog speaks about Appalachia so I thought your readers would be interested in www.visitappalachia.com. As such, I was wondering if you would be kind enough to post a link to the site. I can provide you with a button or banner to use for your link.

The Appalachian Region possesses a wealth of scenery and culture and the driving maps featured on www.visitappalachia.com are a great way to discover both. I hope you'll look around the site and pass the information along to your readers.

All the best,
Joe Killiany
Breakthrough Strategies
Joe@btsrategies.com

Creative Communities Under Construction: Richwood, WV

Richwood, WV: My home town. Ramp Capitol of the World. The Lumber City. Richwood is many things, and it is also a Creative Community Under Construction.


Photo by Oncee

Richwood is named for the large timber holding around the town. It was once home to the largest saw mill in the world. It was also at the regional center of a coal boom in the 70s. While Richwood is still the Home of the Lumberjacks, the Big Mill isn't so big anymore. The train tracks have been replaced by hiking and bike trails.

Why is Richwood a Creative Community Under Construction? Richwood has "Quality of Place". Richwood is the Gateway to the Monongehela National Forest. Three tributaries of the Gauley River (Williams River, Cranberry River, and Cherry River) all flow wild within the forest. The Cherry River flows through the town. These rivers has home to some of the greatest trout is the nation.

The forest is also the home of the Highland Scenic Highway, Hills Creek Falls, Summit Lake, and Cranberry Mountain Visitors Center are a few miles east at the intersection of WV 39 and WV 150, which is close to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and the Cranberry Wilderness, and some of the best biking and hiking trails in the nation. The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area is the southernmost Canadian bog in the world.

A hour drive to the east is Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, which is home to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope and the world's largest land-based movable structure, and Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.


"The Sterling Spencer Memorial Sculpture Garden replaced a dilapidated vacant hotel that had partially collapsed near the center of town. The park is named in honor of a respected wood sculptor from Richwood." (Source: Wikipedia)

For a list of other Creative Communities Under Construction see www.createwv.typepad.com or www.abetterwestvirginia.com

See the No Pants Players this weekend

Everything Fiesta Tent Sale

This is my first time at the Everything Fiesta Tent Sale. The crowd was huge. I took us an hour to checkout.


The sock on the right hand is used to wipe away dust to look for imperfections.


The price list.


The crowd was huge, and the sound of clinking china was deafening.

Check out my other photos on my Flickr stream.

Obama made a mistake picking Biden

I usually don't write about politics, but I think Obama pick of Joe Biden as a running mate was a mistake. Obama has the chance to make history by picking someone to take his message of change forward, but instead he goes for the old white guy who has been in the Senate for years. He could have picked a woman, a latino, or a war veteran, but we get more of the same old Washington establishment pick.

Having lived through the 80s I also remember the Biden plagiarism scandal, which caused him to drop out the 1988 race for President. Opponents haven't rolled out the plagiarism scandal yet, but it won't take much a Fox News talking head to do a Google search to dig it up.

In 1987, Joe Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate, formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9, 1987. In his speech, he challenged Americans to step beyond the materialism of the Reagan years. When the campaign began, Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image, his supposed appeal to Baby Boomers, his fundraising appeal (Biden's $1.7 million raised in the first quarter of 1987 was more than any other candidate, including the then front-runner, Gary Hart), his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary committee during the Robert Bork confirmation hearings, and, perhaps above all, his soaring oratory. Biden often seemed to try to inspire the same hope and idealism associated with 1960s liberals such as Robert Kennedy, especially as related to civil rights. He received considerable attention in the summer of 1986 when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate Hearing because of the Reagan administration's support of South Africa, which continued to support a system of Apartheid. By August 1987, however, Biden's campaign had already begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Richard Gephardt.

Then in September 1987, the campaign ran into serious trouble when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party. Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video. Within days, it was also discovered that, while a first year law student at Syracuse Law School, Biden had plagiarized a law review article in a class paper he wrote. Though the then-dean of the law school, as well as Biden's former professor, played down the incident of plagiarism, they did find that Biden drew "chunks of heavy legal prose directly from" the article in question. Biden said the act was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and Biden was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F in the course, which was subsequently dropped from his record when he retook the class. Biden also released at the same time the record of his grades as an undergraduate which were C's and D's with the exception of two A's in physical education, one B in a course on English writers and an F in ROTC during his first three semesters. His grades improved later in his undergraduate career but were not exceptional. Further, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school Biden had claimed falsely to have graduated in the "top half" of his class, (when he actually graduated 76th in a class of 85) that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees. In fact he had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.

Faced with these revelations, Biden withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his mistakes. After Biden withdrew from the race it was learned that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video showcasing the Biden/Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets. Dukakis fired John Sasso, his campaign manager and long-time Chief of Staff.

Charleston Tweet-up Pictures

Thanks to everyone who came to the Tweet-Up. Paul McNeely told me the gathering was so large that the staff at Capitol Roasters asked us to warn them the next time.


Blair and David


Nick and Heather


Heather, Mona, Dan, and Mark


Jason, Robin, Mike, Paul, and Rachelle


Mike, Robin, Rick, Rachelle, David, Nick, Mark, and Dave


Paul and Mike


Mark and Dave


Paul and Blair


Jason and Rick

Thanks to everyone who came. We hope to do another one soon.

The new 304blogs

We rolled out a new version of 304blogs this morning. If you have any question or suggestions, please put them in the comments.

304blogs in today's Charleston Gazette

I did this interview with a couple of weeks ago Five questions: Bloggers in search of bloggers

The print version includes pictures of David and myself.

Charleston Twitter Meet-up this Tuesday

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Capitol Roasters
Street: 160 Summers Street
City/Town: Charleston, WV

304blogs welcomes 17 new blogs

David updated 304blogs today to included 17 new blogs:

Shouts and Hollers
West Virginia Business Blog
Appalachian Greens
The Glamorous Life of a Hausfrau
Martin Bowling.com
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Blog
Jennyville
All Click, No Point
kitchen geeking
Jason Means Photography
Ron's Thots
wventrepreneur
Family Voice
Pimp My WV
Mountain State Motherhood
NONAME
this and that

A guide to biking in a safe and civil manner

With more people using bikes to save gas, I have been thinking a lot about bicycling lately. Not just cycling, but cycling safely.

This morning I followed a guy, not wearing a helmet, weaving down Capitol Street. Over the past few weeks I have almost been hit by bicycling citizens on Capitol Street. Almost all of them are not wearing helmets and are riding ill fitting bikes showing they care as much about their safety as they do yours.

Before everyone thinks I'm a cycling hater, I'm a avid mountain biker who has many miles under his belt. I advocate biking in a safe, civil manner.

In the interest of educating riders, I point to the State of West Virgina Bicycling Safety page which includes sections on helmets, bike size, hand signals, and first aid.

First there is the helmet. It's for the riders safety, and it should fit correctly. If you decide not to wear a helmet, that's fine. It's your head. On one occasion a helmet probably saved my life. I know it saved my head. I kept the cracked helmet around for a number of years as a reminder to always wear one.

Second there is the bike size. A bike like a suit should be sized correctly. A good bike is like a good suit. Getting it sized correctly, while you might have to make a few adjustments, it will serve you for many years.

Third there is hand signals. Without signal lights and brake lights you really need to let cars, walkers, and other bikers know what you are doing.

Last there is first aid. If you ever take a header, you needed to know how to patch up yourself or your friends. Hopefully you will never need to use it, but you should learn it.

As well as endangering themselves, some riders might be breaking the law. The WV Code sections on bicycling addresses who must wear a helmet and the duties of the person riding a bicycle on public roadways.

§17C-11-2. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles. Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application.

§17C-11-5. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.(a) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. (b) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. (c) Whenever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.

§17C-11-7. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles. (a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the department which shall be visible from all distances from fifty feet to three hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector. (b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle any siren or whistle. (c) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

§17C-11A-4. Requirements for helmet use. (a) It is unlawful for any person under fifteen years of age to operate or be a passenger on a bicycle or any attachment to a bicycle used on a public roadway, public bicycle path or other public right-of-way unless at all times when the person is so engaged he or she wears a protective bicycle helmet of good fit, fastened securely upon the head with the straps of the helmet. (b) It is unlawful for any parent or legal guardian of a person under fifteen years of age to knowingly permit such person to operate or be a passenger on a bicycle or on any attachment to a bicycle used on a public roadway, public bicycle path or other public right-of-way unless at all times when the person is so engaged he or she wears a protective bicycle helmet of good fit, fastened securely upon the head with the straps of the helmet.

I can't find any City of Charleston regulations for bicycles. Can anyone share a link?

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