From Tally PGR Road Captain Mike Donohue

Stage at Burger King, 362 Capital Circle SW, Corner of Capital Circle and Crawfordville Hwy. Staging begins at 7:15 am. Safety briefing at 7:30 a.m. KSU at 7:45 a.m. (73 mile ride no stops planned prior to unfurling the flags)

We have been asked to show our support for the dedication of the Three Servicemen Statue on July 12, 2008 in Apalachicola. The Ceremony begins at 1030 AM Eastern Time. We need to be in place one hour before the ceremony begins.

The groups of Veteran riders invited as of now consist of PGR, Legion Riders, AMVETS Riders, US Military Vets M/C, Vietnam/Legacy Vets M/C, and all area independent riders.

Once we arrive at Apalachicola the lead riders will pull over to the side to allow everyone to unfurl their bike mounted flags, for the ride to the site. The organizerʼs request is that the Vietnam/Legacy Vets M/C and US Military Vets M/C lead followed by all other Veteran organizations within their respective groups.

Point man Rod Hog will ride ahead of everyone to organize the arrival so when we arrive he will be able to guide us. I would suspect that the folks setting up the ceremony will want all the bikes with 3 X 5 Flags mounted to be together. Rod Hog will be in charge of making sure we all line up where they want us.

PGR has been asked to form a flag line.
Mike Donohoe Sr. Ride Captain Patriot Guard RidersAdd to Technorati Favorites

Rachel Hoffman police informant died of multiple gunshot wounds

Tallahassee Democrat reports (read more here) An informant for Tallahassee police who was killed in May during a drug sting died from "multiple gunshot wounds," according to a copy of her death certificate.

Rachel Hoffman, 23, agreed to help police after drugs were found during a search in her apartment in April. Police gave Hoffman $13,000 in recorded bills to buy a gun, 2 ounces of cocaine and 1,500 ecstasy pills May 7 from two men, Deneilo Bradshaw, 22, of Tallahassee, and Andrea Green, 25, of Perry.

But Hoffman followed the two down Gardner Road instead of the arranged location and police lost contact with her, according to Bradshaw and Green's arrest report.
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When investigators reached the 1000 block of Gardner Road, all they found was one black flip- flop, one spent .25 caliber bullet, two live .25 caliber rounds and tire skid marks, the report said. Hoffman was wearing black flip-flops when she was reported missing.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate the killing and would not comment on the death certificate information.

ALL OUR POSTS ON RACHEL HOFFMAN CAN BE FOUND HERE

Rachel Hoffman was a 23 year old recent college grad used by the TPD as an informant WHILE IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE???????????????

Read how the drug wars cost all of us here
http://www.bigbendbikersforfreedom.com/2008/05/drug-wars-enriching-police-while.html

In the meantime, Hoffman's friends say they are planning a music festival, the Purple Hatters Ball, in her honor July 12 at the Ponderosa Wildlife Preserve in Quincy. Proceeds from tickets sales will benefit the Morningstar Foundation, which was established by Hoffman's family. Tickets are $30. They are on sale at the Green Living Center, the CD Warehouse and Vinyl Fever in Tallahassee. DubConscious, a dub reggae band from Athens, Ga., will be headlining the event.Add to Technorati Favorites

Tallahassee, Fl MC police bring home Trophys

Participating at the motorcycle rodeo competition and training seminar this weekend in Charleston, S.C. Officer Tim Clark placed first in the intermediate competition. In the expert competition, Officer Allan Morris placed second and Pretti placed third.

Officer Zach Lyons competed in the novice competition.

“It’s not easy,” said Lyons, who competed for the first time. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, to be honest.”
Congratulations officers. If you have not had an opportunity to witness one of these competitions and get the opportunity, do it. These dudes can ride.Add to Technorati Favorites

Myrtle Beach SUCKS

City passes tax increase to fund efforts By Lorena Anderson - landerson@thesunnews.com

Myrtle Beach City Council hit the gas on eradicating motorcycle rallies Tuesday by passing a three-mill property-tax increase dedicated to an anti-bike-rally campaign and beginning to enact ordinances that will end motorcycle-related vending inside the city.

All seven council members at Tuesday's meeting voted in favor of the tax increase, which will raise about $1 million a year. One mill equals an additional $4 in property taxes for every $100,000 of assessed value for all owner-occupied homes, and $6 for every $100,000 assessed value of commercial property and second homes.

City staff members are tasked with coming up with a list of strategies for ending the rallies, and city leaders will choose which ones they want to try and which ones the city can afford.

It's news that will please the hundreds of anti-rally residents who showed up at last week's council meeting; but for others, it's not glad tidings.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has long come under fire for alleged discrimination at it's Black Bike Week. Apparently it has found a way to discriminate against all bikers. I would wonder a couple things:

*The constitutionality of making anyone who resides in Myrtle beach and owns a motorcycle related business pay increased property taxes for something that would harm them.

*What are the ramifications here in regards to freedom of assembly and movement.

*Last year this site called for a boycott of the Myrtle Beach bike rally on principle. Silly us.Add to Technorati Favorites

If you ride, Please take part in this important survey.

All riders are encouraged to take the 10-minute survey before August 1, 2008.

The members of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council to the Federal Highway Administration recently created the 2008 Motorcyclist Road Conditions Survey. The purpose of the survey is to help state and federal highway administrators better understand and plan for the needs of motorcycle riders.

Please note the questions are separated into 3 distinct settings typically experienced by the majority of riders: Urban Areas (city/suburban/frequent intersections/pedestrians); Rural Areas (fewer intersections/higher speed); and Limited Access Areas (freeway/highway/toll road/minimal intersections). Consider these setting carefully when answering the questions as your riding experience may vary significantly in each.

Additionally keep in mind the audience for these answers and their ability to influence the various issues you may wish to point out. For example; the highway department cannot be expected to have any influence on advertisements alongside the road, the weather or other uncontrolled variables. A comment section is included at the end of each page for you to make note of anything that you feel may have been overlooked.

Take the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/MACMembersHighwaySurvey

It's kinda funAdd to Technorati Favorites

Georgia motorcycle fatalities up 147 percent

Note Georgia is a Helmet state. June 23, 2008

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Motorcycle fatalities have jumped a whopping 147 percent in six years in Georgia. The reason? More people are riding them.

The most common safety problem for motorcycles is that other driver's don't see them. With high gas prices convincing more motorists to turn in their cars for more fuel efficient motorcycles and scooters, drivers are being cautioned and new cyclists are encouraged to take a class.

"We certainly recommend especially novice motorcycle riders take a motorcycle safety riding class to improve their skills and to stay on low volume streets until they really improve those skills," said Michele DeMott, Albany Safe Communties Director.

In 2000, Albany had just 17 crashes involving motorcycles. That number rose to 43 in 2006.Add to Technorati Favorites

Mongols biker leader, sentenced to year in jail, sprung after day

Mongols biker leader, sentenced to year in jail, sprung after day

The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, OR - One day after a Lane County judge sentenced him to a year in jail, the leader of Oregon's Mongols Motorcycle Club was cut loose to make room for more serious criminals. Justin "Mooch" DeLoretto, 27, walked out of jail today a free man.

The Mongols president was jailed April 23, the day he was accused of trying to run a pair of motorcycle gang investigators off Interstate 5. He remained in jail before and during his trial last week, his bail set impossibly high. He served 62 days and was released because of jail overcrowding, said Eugene police Detective Matt Herbert, the lead investigator in the criminal case against DeLoretto and two Mongols associates. DeLoretto will be assigned to a county work crew. "It's a sad commentary on the state of the criminal justice system in Lane County right now," Herbert said.

DeLoretto was sentenced Monday to a year in jail on two counts of menacing, a misdemeanor. Also, he was ordered not to associate with the Mongols or wear their insignia for five years.
It was unclear today whether DeLoretto would be allowed to associate with his twin brother, Jeremy, who has filled in as the Mongols' president in Oregon.Add to Technorati Favorites