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Around the horn

The publication design class I'm teaching this semester at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to gobble up vast quantities of my time, thus I've been lax at both cycling and writing about cycling.

Anyone who thinks teaching is easy would be wrong. It would be safe to say that I'm basically earning minimum wage this semester because of all the prep time needed when teaching a class for the first time. Because this is a visual course, I've spent hours creating visual presentations for the students.

For the most part, I think the students have responded well to what I've tried to do. I have one student who probably needs a swift kick in the butt -- figuratively, not literally -- strong words of advice to motivate her to work up to her potential, but the vast majority of students are working hard and trying to improve their skills.

I must say that this has been a learning experience for me as well, especially because this is the first time I've taught a class at any level. I've had to learn that I need to be as specific as possible in writing tests and assignments, and I constantly have to remind myself that these students are still trying to learn a complicated software program, QuarkXPress, that I've been using for more than 10 years.

Here's some other items of note about the world of bicycling:

BUBBAFEST KICKS OFF: When I scheduled my vacation time for 2008, I fully intended to be on BubbaFest, the weeklong ride my longtime cycling friend Bubba Barron puts on every November in the Florida Keys. However, the class and the higher cost of living we've all experienced this year prevented me from making the trip.

One of my college buddies and longtime Tour de Stooges volunteer Doug Kaufman is making the trip, and I'm sure many of my cycling acquaintances are along for the ride. This morning, they are riding 52 miles from Key Largo to Knights Key Campground. After a layover day Monday on Marathon Key, they'll ride 42 miles Tuesday to Key West.

As I write, it's 39 degrees in beautiful Belleville, Ill. By contrast, the temperature in Key Largo is 75 degrees.

Man, I wish I was in Florida right now!

IOWA BOWLING ALLEY WINS COURT BATTLE: A bowling alley owner in Wall Lake, Iowa, who faced suspension of his liquor license after a half-naked customer slid down a beer covered bowling alley during RAGBRAI in 2004 will be able to keep his license, The Associated Press reported.

The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division threatened to suspend Darrin Boger’s liquor license after the incident at Lake Lanes, but the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled in Boger’s favor. The case revolved around rumors that Boger planned to sponsor a naked beer slide for riders on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

The man was arrested for indecent exposure and state regulators wanted to suspend Boger’s license for alleged violations of a law that deals with nude peformances.

Court records show a state trooper stopped in Boger’s business and was monitoring the crowd when a man dropped his shorts and ran toward the beer-soaked plastic.

“Having a liquor license doesen’t give you the God-given power to know when someone is doing to take off their clothes,” attorney Robert Tiefenthaler said. “So this was a good win. And it was a long time coming.”

50,000-MILE BICYCLE NETWORK IN U.S. WINS APPROVAL: A few weeks ago, fellow cycling blogger Gene Bisbee reported on his Biking Bis blog that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials approved a National Corridor Plan that sets the framework and guidelines for developing the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

One of the fascinating facts about the route is that many of the proposed route corridors parallel old Route 66. The proposed Bicycle Route 37 going from Chicago to the middle of Oklahoma, Bicycle Route 80 would take cyclists through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, then Bicycle Route 70 would complete the trip to Santa Monica, Calif. Maybe the people developing the route system should consider calling that corridor Bicycle Route 66.

As you may be aware, the League of Illinois Bicyclists has developed the Route 66 Trail, a network of roads and bike trails along the state's Route 66 alignments. Cycling advocates in my part of Illinois are pushing to create a system of bike trails that link St. Louis and Springfield, Ill.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis-based Gateway Council of Hostelling International is planning a weeklong ride next year along the Missouri alignments of Route 66 that would start in the St. Louis suburb of Eureka and end with a jaunt along Route 66 alignments in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Labels: Adventure Cycling Association, bicycling, journalism, League of Illinois Bicyclists

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:31 AM

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Random thoughts from Belleville

Roger, where have you been? You've probably noticed I haven't been posting very often since the end of the Tour of Missouri. The primary reason for that is because I'm teaching a course in publication design at my alma mater, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, in addition to my night job as design editor of the Belleville News-Democrat. It's the first time I've ever taught a course at any level, and preparing for two class sessions a week is taking most of my spare time.

The full-time professors say the first time teaching the course is the hardest and that it gets easier the more you teach it. I hope I get the chance to see whether that's true. I did find out early in the semester that it takes more material to fill an hour and 15 minutes than I thought it did.

I did find it cute when one of the students actually called me Professor Kramer, even though I'm a humble adjunct instructor. I don't even have a master's degree! Fortunately, the folks at SIUE decided my experience in the field counted for something, and I am appreciative for the opportunity to expand my horizons.

Bicycle maps available for all 102 Illinois counties: I wasn't aware of this until this week, but thanks to the folks at the ChampaignCountyBikes mailing list, I now know that the Illinois Department of Transportation has them available here: http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/state3.html

These are county-by-county versions of the regional bicycle road suitability maps available through IDOT and Illinois bicycle shops. Here are direct links to PDF maps for some metro-east counties:

• St. Clair County
• Madison County
• Monroe County
• Clinton County
• Jersey County
• Macoupin County

Tour de Belleville raises money for signals: Drivers will soon get a warning that bikes might cross their paths on East Main and B streets in Belleville, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.

The proceeds from this summer's Tour de Belleville bicycle ride are being used to install two signals by the MetroLink Bike Trail in a section near Douglas School, ride chairman Phil Elmore said. When bikes on the trail approach East Main and B streets, they will trigger sensors that cause yellow warning lights to flash and alert motorists that bicycles are approaching.

Bicyclists must still stop at the intersections.

Work on the signals began Tuesday. The two signals cost $30,000, Elmore said.

While the signals at East Main and B streets will be helpful, my hope is that something can be done about the trail's intersection with North Green Mount Road along the MetroLink tracks. To me, it's the most dangerous intersection on the trail because of the volume and speed of traffic on Green Mount.

Labels: Illinois, journalism, Tour de Belleville

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:40 PM

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Bono has The Edge

Gee, I wonder whether the Eurosport editor who wrote this headline is a U2 fan?

Bono has the edge

In case you're wondering what the story is about, Italy's Matteo Bono of the Lampre team won the mountainous 162 km sixth stage to San Giacomo while Germany's Andreas Kloeden grabbed the overall lead finishing ninth Monday in the penultimate stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy.

That headline writer isn't the the first editor to have U2 influence his or her headlines. Back in 1999, the Times-News in Burlington, N.C., had a story about several thoroughfares in Burlington and nearly communities that suddenly changed names.

My headline for that story? "Where the streets have two names."

During the next day's critique of the paper, one reporter who caught the U2 reference said that was the most interesting thing about that day's front page. It must not have been a very exciting front page if that was the most interesting thing on it!

Well, I better get going to the train station because I have to make it on time, make it on time. ...

Labels: cycling, journalism, racing, U2

Roger 0 comments links to this post 6:04 AM