Inside this issue:

Turn Your Hectic Holiday into a Happy Holiday

Black Friday: Hit the Stores Early for the Best Deals

Bibles for Babes: Helping Denton County Foster Children

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• Stay Safe at the Pharmacy

• Shop Denton on Purpose

• Moving Families from Crisis to Confidence

• POINTBank Lines Up for Literacy

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Happy Independence Day!
- Vacation Day Trips to Turner Falls, Dinosaur Valley and Fredericksburg
- Summer Sun Sense
- Fourth of July festivals all around Denton

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Splash into Denton Water Works!
- Justin Fun Days
- Off the Beaten path: North Lakes Recreation Center
- Project Graduation: It’s More Than a Party…It’s a Celebration of Life

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Ahh…Bluebonnet time in Texas.  Lots of people are out on the roads seeking out the beautiful wildflower displays that Mother Nature sets up every year.

While you’re out on your road trips, do you ever notice all the bikers on their motorcycles wearing different kinds of patches?  There are the ubiquitous brand name ones, usually Harley Davidson wings. Sometimes you see a “three-piece patch,” the hard-earned motorcycle club emblem of MCs, such as the Wino’s Crew that has been around since the 1940s, which are usually well-worn as well as worn proudly. There are the Armed Services Veteran riding clubs, such as the Legion Riders, and there are the Patriot Guard Riders who honor the fallen heroes at funerals.

You might see a Christian Motorcycle Association patch, like the Sons of Thunder, who so infamously ran the homeless shelter in Denton as their ministry, before they were displaced by the Arts District. You’ll see the occasional Law Enforcement club patch, the biggest one being the Blue Knights, or the specialty club patches such as the Vintage Motor Cycle Club. There are also Motorcyclists Rights Organizations, like our local Denton ABATE, who fight for the bikers’ right to wear these patches, among many other more important things.

But if you look closer, you might see a very small round black patch emblazoned with a red cross on the vests of some of these motorcyclists. This is the Motorcycle Fatality Awareness patch, a symbol of having been to a Red Cross Highway Memorial placement. The Red Cross Motorcycle Fatality Awareness program was started in 2008 by Texas ABATE.  Texas DOT already had a Highway Memorial program in place, but there was no specification as to color.  Texas ABATE has made the Red Cross its own symbol of a motorcycle fatality, hoping to raise motorist awareness of motorcycles and to kickstart similar programs nationwide. Here in Denton, ABATE has placed two red crosses and is planning to place two more this summer.

Tim Taylor was a Denton resident who rode with many of the original members of Denton ABATE.  He was killed on his motorcycle on November 13, 1993, at only 29 years old, when he slid under a barbed wire fence at an unmarked road-ending and his helmet broke his neck. The Tim Taylor Memorial Toy Run begun in his honor is the Denton Toy Run of today.

Delores “Dody” Montgomery was killed on September 3, 2007, under an overpass near Ft. Worth, where she had taken shelter from impending rain while riding with her daughter, Tami, and her grandson, Mikey.  An Oklahoma parolee in an SUV ran off the road and destroyed both bikes and a family.  Dody was the first of three generations of women bikers, and left behind her devoted husband, Bob, three children and five grandchildren.

Kenneth “Goatman” Porter was a Vietnam veteran who served in the US Army for two years. Goatman was a longtime dedicated ABATE member, who gave from his heart to every Toy Run.  He died on May 10, 2010, doing what he loved: riding his Harley Davidson. Another unmarked road ending took his life. Goatman left behind two daughters and sons-in-law, six grandchildren, and one step-grandson. His cross will be placed on May 29, 2011.

“Michigan Bill” Malmsten, another Denton ABATE member, hated turning 50 and loved life. He died on July 5, 2010, when his bike hit a huge pothole on the Teasley entrance ramp to I-35E, he lost control, and slammed into a barrier. Michigan Bill left behind two children, and his cross placement is set for July.

All of these riders were people just like you, with families and friends who miss them dearly. May is Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month.  If you drive, watch out for motorcycles; if you ride, be safe and aware, this month and all months.

Taryn McColpin is Newsletter Editor for Denton ABATE, the local Motorcyclists Rights Organization.  For more information on joining, or on rides and events, call 940-595-1144 or email tarynwithat@hotmail.com.

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Happy New Year Denton!
- A More Beautiful You: Permanent Cosmetic Solutions
- Family Resource Center of North Texas
- Just Say Ahh…Superbowl Edition

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