MNO Blog – Motorcycles, News, Opinions

It is always sad to see some of the tragic articles that come across the news wire. But it really gets to me to see a person I knew leave us. I just read the news about tattoo artist Tony Plante on Karen’s Tattoos Blog, but reading the actual news story that was published in The Salem News, it looks like the accident happened last week. Tony evidently lost control of his motorcycle and died due to injuries from the accident.

I met Tony during Biketoberfest back in 2003 at the Cabbage Patch bar where he would usually have his tattoo studio set up. He was a real friendly person and we always said hello and talked for a while during each event every year. Tony told me that he had a house here in Florida, but still operated his tattoo studios up in Massachusetts. According to the news stories, he had recently got engaged to his girlfriend of six years. Tony was only 49 and had lost his leg to a motorcycle accident, but he loved to ride.

Rest In Peace My Friend

Technorati Tags: tattoo, tony plante, motorcycle news

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It is amazing some of the things that you will come across while surfing the web. In fact, I have started a collection of pages that I have found and would like to share with my readers.

Today’s link is to a very large and popular blog site with many contributors called Blog Critics Magazine. I mean this site is huge! However, today we will be exploring the culture section where Frank Giovinazzi of Car Buyer’s notebook made a post entitled Harley Davidson – How Do I Hate Thee. Its a rather small post in itself where Frank gives out 11 reasons  why he hates Harley Davidson and the dweebs (as he refers to them) who ride them. The post was made in may of 2003 and only contains 243 words, but to this day the Post still gets traffic and has currently 1745 comments with the last comment being made as of this post at 16:36 on January 12th. That was yesterday in case nobody is paying attention…. this post has been read and commented on for going on 5 years now.

I have to hand it to Frank for making this post. Fact may even be that the man owns a Harley. But whether he does or not is not what it is all about. It is about the controversy that was created by him making the post. The post about hating Harley Davidson that has almost created a meeting hole on the web where people get together on a semi-regular basis to kick sand at each other on everything motorcycle related from helmet laws to owning American vs metric motorcycles.  How ingenious of Mr. Giovinazzi.

Technorati Tags: harley davidson, motorcycles, motorcycle blogs, blogosphere, blog, traffic, creative writing

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Nowadays, when you are looking for a good deal on just about anything, you can usually find what you are looking for at the best price in the comfort and security of your own home. On line shopping has become a common place part of the average person’s life that owns a computer with a broadband connection. Even when you might be shopping for Harley Davidson parts, you will most likely find a better price on the Internet.

You can find the best prices on Harley accessories easily just by doing a search on your favorite search engine. Larger search engines such as Google will even offer you a discount and quick check out when you want to buy Harley parts from your computer. Try doing a search for the motorcycle parts and accessories and get your best price on line. You can also use your computer as a tool to get store hours of operation, telephone numbers and maps to stores that you are close to. Another great thing about shopping on the Internet is being able to get hard to find items. Make sure to make a folder in your favorites too! This way when you find a site that has things available that you will want to come back and shop for later, you will not have to search for the site again.

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Back several years ago, Bruce Rossmeyer, owner of the local Daytona Harley-Davidson dealership decided to leave his present location on Beach Street in Daytona Beach and build a motorcycle mega-complex to be called Destination Daytona. This complex would not only be home to the world’s largest Harley motorcycle showroom, it would also anchor dozens of shops, restaurants, hotel and a condominium.

Construction of Destination Daytona fell behind and the opening day kept being moved forward in hopes of opening the doors during Bike Week or Biketoberfest. Here I am standing in front of the new dealership while still under construction.

The plans were clear as we toured the inside of the construction site near the escalator that goes up to the second floor showroom. Since this picture was taken, literally thousands of visitors have rode this escalator.

Today, Destination Daytona draws thousands of motorcycle enthusiast through the doors during the major events. The complex is still growing with new extensions and businesses being added on all the while.

Of course these photographs were taken just after the opening of Destination Daytona. Taking the time to get a picture like above during a motorcycle event would be nearly impossible.

J & P Cycles recently opened a brand new store at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach and held a grand opening during Biketoberfest. The new J & P cycles store buzzed with visitors checking out the displays inside and out.

Arlen Ness Motorcycles moved their location from Beach Street to inside the Destination Daytona complex as well. Arlen Ness has made several guest appearances like when he cruised in during Bike Week last year. Corbin just opened the doors of their new store only a few minutes from this area. Add to all this the popular Ormond Beach biker hang outs like The Iron Horse, Broken Spoke, Battlegrounds and Boot Hill Saloon! The north side of the Daytona, Volusia County area has taken over what used to be concentrated to the Main Street and Beach Street park. Biketoberfest and Bike Week has expanded, but the new north area seems to have rapidly gained in popularity.

Now I believe that Main Street downtown Daytona Beach will always attract a certain amount of visitors and traffic. After all, it is still the place to see and be seen until the north side comes up with some sort of a strip that bikers can cruise and visitors can shop and grab some food and drink. But to me and many of the Main Street vendors, the crowd is thinning every year.

As I have mentioned a few times before though, I always stop by the Krystal Hamburger to grab a sack of burgers. We caught this limousine pulling through to get some food before heading back out on International Speedway Drive. I was glad to see that it was only the driver getting some hamburgers, or we may have been held up for hours!

One of the other main attractions during Biketoberfest and Bike Week will always be the world famous women’s coleslaw wrestling at the Cabbage Patch Bar in Samsula, Florida. The weather played a little bit of a factor again this year with partly cloudy skies and threats of thunder storms, but the clouds cleared and the coleslaw wrestling went on as scheduled.

This golf cart had a live streaming web cam mounted on it. There were 3 live web cameras set up at the cabbage patch during Biketoberfest so that the entire event could be watched at home on your computer. I talked with the man that was running this operation and found out some very interesting statistics on what it takes to handle a set up like this.

Some 385 feet of CAT 5 cable had to be run out from this RV that was parked in the lot next door camping area. The RV was used to power the unit as well as provide an office for the computers that served the live video feed.

Here you can see the trailer behind the RV that holds the cable when rolled in and the satellite dish for communications to the main live video server to the internet. If you missed the opportunity to view these feeds, I hope that they will be available next year so that you can check them out. You can see that a lot of work goes into setting up the live Biketoberfest web cams. All this was made possible by SVCLIVE web casting productions. This may all sound a little geek to you, but now you can see what it takes to bring live video from a motorcycle event to your home computer or laptop.

I will close this year’s thoughts about Biketoberfest with a few pictures that we took of interesting body decorations, Ink and Tattoo. Cindi snapped this picture of a motorcycle passenger who spent plenty of time with a tattoo artist decorating her body.

I saw this girl and her boyfriend walking around at the cabbage patch bar and asked her to pose for a shot of her very colorful ink work.

I think she had a tattoo.

I have heard many say that they prefer Biketoberfest over Bike Week because of the lessor amount of people. This year the even pretty much held true for that. The only real problem is the heavy traffic and small amount of parking available on the the north side, but I am sure they are working on a solution for that. Still, your best bet is to arrive early and plan ahead where you want to go. My apologies to all those who looked for us to be out on the loop this year, as we did not shoot out there. Sunday was our only open day and the weather said it was time to head home.

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, daytona beach, destination daytona, florida, motorcycle events, motorcycle news, ormond beach, volusia county

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Biketoberfest ended on Sunday, but was the annual Florida motorcycle event in Daytona Beach? Not by the looks of the light activity on the famed Main Street in downtown Daytona Beach. The many Daytona Beach hotels still displayed bright neon lights telling of vacancy. The mass media newspapers and television stations all ran the same headlines days before Biketoberfest began “Biketoberfest roars into town”.

But then again, if you decide to roar into town, you will get a ticket for the Daytona Beach noise violation ordinance. The city of Daytona Beach has spent a great deal of money to make sure visiting bikers know to keep quiet, while other recent laws and ordinances to remove the fun out of the event are in the making.

While topless protester Elizabeth Book of Ormond beach has battled the Daytona Beach nudity laws since bike week 2003 and won in appeal courts, Daytona Beach recently tried to add new ordinances banning nudity in establishments that sell alcohol such as Lollipops and the Pink Pony. The planned city ordinance included not only nudity, but also skimpy cover-up outfits, T backs and G strings.

 Welcome Bikers? With all the new attempts to remove the fest from Biketoberfest and other motorcycle events, the city of Daytona Beach will need to change their current signage that reads “we are glad you’re back to “please come back”!

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, daytona beach, florida, loud pipes, motorcycle events, noise violation, nudity laws, volusia county

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Today, October 15th is Blog Action day. As a blogger I am supposed to write something about the enviroment. Bloggers get to pick there own subject to write about, but the post should be geared toward the enviroment. The choice for me was easy, finding a protected Florida wildlife species to photograph for the story was not as easy.

Meet the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), a protected wildlife species found mostly in northern and central Florida and some parts of southern Georgia but have been found to be declining in numbers.

I took a ride over to Erna Nixon Brevard County Park to see if I could find a gopher tortoise to photograph. This county park is known to have this particular form of protected wildlife roaming the area. I asked the ranger where I might find a gopher turtle, but she told me that they are usually not out until later afternoon.

I decided to walk my way up the nature trail and see if I would get lucky even though it was just after twelve noon. I walked up the path til I reached the wetland area of the park with no luck. Then took a walk up the opposite side of the trail to the wetlands and still had not spotted a turtle. As luck would have it, as I was exiting the trail just past the main pavilion I spotted this big guy chomping on some grass.

Many bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts ride the “loop” when visiting the Volusia County area including Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach during the two big Florida Motorcycle events every year. Bike Week and Biketoberfest attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to this area and most will make plans to ride the loop during these events.

Many of you readers have noticed the signs “Save the Loop” posted in homes and along the 23 mile stretch of road from Daytona to Ormond Beach. The loop is a natural habitat for the gopher tortoise and like the turtle, this land is threatened by development. One such development called Plantation Oaks brings threat to this enjoyable natural Florida scenic ride as well as the lives of over 900 gopher turtles. Read Permit to Kill to see more on how this developer bought his way through a permit loop hole.

It is sad to see more and more of the natural Florida ecosystem losing out to high dollar homes and multi-million dollar golf courses. Along with the natural beauty and surroundings of this land we are also killing off our wildlife, like the gopher tortoise.

Technorati Tags: blog action day, daytona beach, ecosystem, endangered wildlife, florida, gopher tortoise, enviroment, melbourne, ormond beach, the loop, volusia county

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(Palm Bay, Florida) A man riding a motorcycle was killed Thursday night after being struck by a Honda Accord near Minton Road and Emerson Drive in Palm Bay. Police identified the victim as Nicolo Puglisi, 33, of West Melbourne. He was not wearing a helmet. Victor Puglisi, his 8-year-old son, who was riding with him was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando with critical injuries. The boy was wearing a helmet. A 40-year-old man who was driving the Accord has been arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter.
Jose Ramon Cabrera also faces charges of felony DUI, DUI with serious bodily injury and DUI with property damage.

Cabrera has a lengthy arrest history dating back to 1995, police said. He has two prior DUI arrests. If convicted, he might face a maximum term of 15 years. The accident occurred a before 8 p.m. Traffic homicide investigators continued to work at the scene late into the night. Traffic flow at the intersection was affected for hours. Those trying to go north on Minton Road near Emerson Drive were being directed to use alternative routes.

The above is a article that was published in Florida Today September 28, 2007 written by reporter Kaustuv Basu. Readers of this blog know that I rarely use re posts from other sources. However, somehow this story slipped on without my knowledge and it caught my eye yesterday in the Florida Today breaking news forums. My sincere condolences and sympathy go to the family of the victim, Nicoli Puglisi and prayers are for his son who survived the crash. From what I have read in the story chat, the child has undergone surgery and is still in ICU at the Orlando hospital he was air lifted to. There is talk of a fund being set up to help the family and when I get that information I will post it here for those who wish to contribute.

This story is disturbing in itself, and struck up some serious debate in the forum.  As in many stories of this nature where the writer makes mention of whether the rider was wearing a helmet or not, the great helmet debate ensues. Many times as in this particular case the helmet issue clouds the discussion over the greater issues. Another human life was taken of a motorcyclist by a person driving under the influence (DUI) in a automobile. Moreover, this man, Jose Ramon Cabrera has a long history of traffic infractions that include two previous arrests for DUI.

The last two posts in the story chat really caught my attention.

WHAT???!!! At first I didn’t/couldn’t believe what Nala41 posted, but it’s completely true. This piece of crap was let out of jail, committed yet ANOTHER running a light infraction and gets a friggen TICKET??? By the way, scum bags court date is November 28. Posted by: sweet_vindication on Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:19 pm

Well, I could not believe this myself. So I pulled the case to see if it could have been an error. To think that Mr. Cabrera could be out on bail and committed this careless driving offense days later was unimaginable. A Florida driver license check brought back the following information:
As of Oct 12, 2007, at 08:07 PM, driver license number C166-436-67-161-0 will soon be CANCELED, SUSPENDED, REVOKED, or DISQUALIFIED. Reason listed refuse to submit to breath/urine/blood test.

The citation that was issued in case  05-2007-TR-076556-AXXX-XX  indicated that the citation was NOT issued to Mr. Cabrera while driving days later as it appeared. It was issued as a summons request on 9/27/2007 and given to the Brevard county Sheriff office to be served. In fact as of today Jose Cabrera is still being held at the Brevard county jail under $320,000.00 bond. The record on case 05-2007-CF-061893-AXXX-XX reflects that Cabrera was arrested on the date of the crash and charged with DUI felony third or subsequent offense, DUI Manslaughter, DUI serious bodily injury and DUI with property damage. You will notice that the Case Type is Non Capital Murder for these charges. The Case Type for case number 05-2007-TR-076556-AXXX-XX is Traffic Infraction.

No dates have been set for docket soundings and the second appearance originally scheduled for 10/26/2007 has been canceled.

UPDATE 10/14: for the next 10 days donations can be sent to

Ronald MCdonald House Room #4

Arnold Palmer Medical Center

Att. Vincent Puglisi

1630 Kuhl Ave.

Orlando, Florida 32806

Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/BREAKINGNEWS/309280005

Technorati Tags: brevard county, driving drunk, DUI, fatal crash, florida, motorcycle news, palm bay

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The past few days have been rewarding for me getting my PC back on track. I had to plot out some type of course on what would list the top priority programs I wanted to get installed after last week’s mishap.

Because I build my own computers, they do not come with all the preinstalled trial software that has a tendency to bog most brand name computers down out of the box. I see a lot of the new computers come with free trial offers of 2 or 3 different Internet providers and 2 anti virus programs both running on start up, batched up with other programs to sell you things you don’t need. Add to all that signing on with America Online and your are pretty much screwed from the moment you start up your new computer.

Fortunately I simply start out with my OS (operating system) and a direct Internet connection tied in to my home/office network. One of the biggest barriers I have ran into so far is getting my dual boot system to back running. I am skipping that error for now, because I still have access to both drives and operating systems. So for now, I am running XP 64 and installing from there.

Ok, so if you have purchased one of these computers, or plan on doing so. The first place for you to head is to your control panel and click on the add remove programs and strip off all of the trial and unwanted software. Sign up with a ISP that gives you a fast reliable  direct internet connection preferably by cable or DSL. In other words you should always be connected to the internet so that you simply bring up your browser and go! If you want to set a home page to get current news and things, you can easily do that yourself. If you are using any type of provider that requires you to sign on through their system and are immediately taken to their home page, you are headed for trouble. If you are new to computers and you think you need this type of connection to lead you around to where they want you to go, think about it real hard. Take the money that you are spending for that connection and take a few hours of basic computer instruction instead. You will be so much better off.

So, now we are starting off with a basic computer with a operating system and direct internet connection. From here you will want to make a list of what it is that you want your computer to do for you. There are some other basic programs that most of you will want and need on any type of PC. Email is an important program, so that you will be able to communicate with others from your computer. However, before we get our email set up we need to think about protection. Email can be a very useful tool if well protected. On the other hand email can become a task of sorting through all of the unwanted messages that seem to came from nowhere as soon as you open your program up, this is commonly known as spam. There are many programs on the market to combat spam that you can run out and purchase. Don’t do that! At least not until you have finished reading on and looking into what these programs can or can not do. Furthermore, how much should you spend on a program to combat spam? My suggestion to you is that you spend nothing, not a penny on a spam prevention program. I use and strongly suggest that you try, for FREE SpamAware. This product integrates with Outlook and Outlook express easily and it will delete those unwanted messages for you. Visit Jam Software and download SpamAware if you are using either of these Microsoft products as your email program. Alternatively, you can use Mozilla products such as FireFox for your browser and Thunderbird for your email, which are also FREE and are highly suggested products if you want to stay away from Microsoft. Personally, I use both browsers and Outlook for email.

Another item for protection that you will need to have installed before you begin using your email is a quality anti virus program. Again, there are a lot of products on the market that you could go out and spend money on. However, I would like to point out that you DO NOT have to rush to the store and purchase a AV program and I strongly suggest that you stay away from the so called bundled software packages. These all have a tendency to slow your system down and cause conflicts beyond belief. There are two really good FREE anti virus programs available for you to download on the web. Because I use dual boot and run both 32 and 64 bit systems I needed a software program that is compatible with both. I used to use AVG Free and it is a good product for anti virus protection which you can read more about and download at Grisoft and though they say that their software is compatible with Windows Vista, they have not made a X64 version yet. I did a little research and I came up with a impressive anti virus software made by ALWIL software called Avast which is also Vista compliant and they have a X64 version. I strongly recommend either of these AV protections, but I am running the Avast without any problems. Avast also integrates with Outlook trouble free.

Now we have a computer that is up and running with an operating system, email program protection against virus and spam. You will want to make sure all of these programs are updated. You have a direct connection to the internet and you are using either the current version of Internet Explorer or FireFox.

The next thing you may want to add is a program to write letters and faxes, use databases and spread sheets for your office or home work. For my last tip on free software in this post, I want to suggest that you check out Open Office free office suite. This program compares with the expensive office products on the market and will serve you well to download.

I hope that you have found some good computer tips in this post. I do computer upgrades and tutoring in my spare time now, but I used to have a store. If you have any questions or need help with problems not covered here feel free to contact me. I will be making other posts on computers and the internet in the future and I hope you find them useful.

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I remember a day when having data backup was so important to me I installed a tape drive that ran daily backups of all my data. After years of trouble free computer use, I have grown more relaxed and only backed up certain items rarely.

A couple days of days ago I purchased a new 500GB hard drive from Staples. No big deal, I have replaced or upgraded hard drives before. I usually buy Maxtor hard drives because they have been reliable and have a good warranty backing them. Maxtor provides a program called MaxBLAST ™ that will copy your old hard drive over to the new one and this too has always been trouble free. That is until the new version of MaxBLAST™  and the third attempt in getting my old drive to copy over to the new one.

The new version 4 of MaxBLAST™ decided on the 4th attempt to do a drive copy that it would format my old hard drive (erasing all my data) and then take over 6 hours to copy the blank hard drive that it had formatted. Needless to say that now, after losing a lot of my old data, I am going to be a backup freak again. I am looking at weeks of installing all of my programs and updates before I get my machine back to where it was before this “accidental” formatting of my data and there are many things lost that will never be recovered.

Backup your important data folks. You never know when you might need it. 

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Today, I am speaking with Byron Morelock. Byron, is the brother of Gerald Morelock the motorcyclist killed on September 4^th 2006 when he was hit head-on by an oncoming Dodge Ram pickup in a no passing zone on State Road A1A in Melbourne Beach, Florida. It was later discovered that the driver of the Dodge pickup, William D. Lane, did not have a valid driver license and was driving while intoxicated. Lane and female passenger Erin Derrick were injured in the crash, but were released from the hospital later. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab reported that Mr. Lane’s blood alcohol level was at .192 which is higher than the legal Florida limit of .08. Mr. Lane’s driver license was under current suspension for refusing to submit to a breathalyser test in June of 2006 after he was pulled over by State Police in Rowan County, North Carolina for driving on the wrong side of the road and not wearing a helmet.

There has been quite a bit of local news coverage on the crash of September 4^th in Brevard County, Florida that took the life of Gerald Morelock because as fate would have it William Lane, known as Billy Lane of Choppers Inc. is a motorcycle builder based in Melbourne Florida and he is popular in the motorcycle industry. It was later discovered that Billy Lane did not own the Dodge pickup that he was driving when the crash occurred. The Dodge Ram pickup was one of 3 promotional vehicles owned by
DaimlerChrysler Corporation and had been loaned to Lane to promote Dodge products. All 3 vehicles had custom paint that prominently displayed the Dodge name, Choppers Inc., Billy Lane and the Dodge ram trademark.

One of the most important issues in this tragedy has lacked news coverage and that is what are the thoughts, the feelings of the family that has lost a loved one. That is what I want to discus with Byron Morelock today. I did this interview by telephone, but was invited out to meet with Byron and his son Sean on Melbourne Beach. To meet them in person and talk was very touching. Sean is very quiet and walked off while his father and I spoke. I took Cindi along and she took some pictures as we talked. The following is the interview that took place by telephone.

 Good afternoon, Byron

Byron: Mike, can I say a word or two first to clarify something??

MNO: Sure.

Byron: Thanks.. I have always been a slightly shy kind of a guy. Not bothering anyone and expecting that in return. We all dream about being a movie star or getting in the news for doing something great…Maybe its just a human thing.. I never would have dreamed in a million years that I would have to stand up and publicly Talk about and defend my family and our situation.
I guess that it is something that I must do. Too much hurt and pain have interrupted our lives. The sword has been passed to me. Mostly , we have heard from thousands of caring souls telling us that they too have lost a loved one and that somehow sharing our problems with others might help some one else. That’s why I’m here with you Mike. I wish I wasn’t,. not that you are a bad guy or anything !! I mean that I would much rather be fishing on some beach, waiting for Gerry to come walking up and saying “Hey Bro…whats up”

Ok ..fire away !

MNO: Where do you live? Are you from Florida?

Byron: My son and I live in Indialantic ,Florida now. My daughter Chelsey also lives in Melbourne. Actually Mike, I have been coming down to Florida since I was a baby. My Dad had an Aunt that lived locally so we were drawn here by family. We grew up in Ohio.

MNO: When did you move to Florida?

Byron: I moved to Florida in 1992.

MNO: Gerald Morelock was your brother?

Byron: He sure was….

MNO: Where did Gerald live? Was he from Florida?

Byron: Gerry lived 3 miles south of us in Melbourne Beach. Gerry was from Ohio like me.

MNO: When did Gerald move to Florida?

Byron: Gerry moved down here in 1988. We were always close so I moved down a few years latter.

MNO: Was Gerald older or younger than you?

Byron: Gerry was my big brother…always my big brother. Even though I became a bit “bigger”I always looked up to him as my big brother.

MNO: What was Gerald like in his youth?

Byron: Gerry was always into music & art. We both grew up with the most beautiful Mom & Dad. Kinda like a Rockwell painting. Dad always took us out fishing & hunting. We both loved the outdoors..

MNO: Are there any other brothers or sisters in your family?

Byron: Yea, I have a little sister “Squirt”…I mean DAWN….She always wanted to hang out with us so Gerry & I started calling her Squirt.

MNO: And where does she live?

Byron: She lives up in Ohio about 10 miles from MOM.

MNO: Tell me about your parents, are they both still alive?

Byron: Mom is still kicking….that’s for sure!! Dad died in our arms in
1984 with pancreatic cancer. That was horrible…but I was glad that we were there for him… Dad brought us into to this world and we thought it was our duty to help him out…..Gerry too. Matter of fact …I thought at the time that it was the worst thing that would ever happen to me ……unfortunately ……I was wrong …………As for our Mom: (I call her “BUG” because her name is JUNE )….get it ??? “JUNE BUG”Well she is my saving grace…Always there for both Gerry & I as well as my family. She fell in love with my Dad as a teenager and stuck with him …even to this day…she never remarried. She always says: “Once you’ve had the best …you don’t want the rest!!”

MNO: And you, do you have a family of your own?

Byron: I surly do. My son Seany lives with me and I have a beautiful daughter ,Chelsey , that has her own “pad” now. My ex-wife Carmen lives locally and is always involved with her children.

MNO: So your son, Sean lives with you? Tell me about him.

Byron: Well ….Seany and I are about as close as God allows. I know that sounds strange
to some of you but that’s the truth. If he is feeling sick then I start to feel sick. if I am worried then he too, worries. We are a kindred spirit. Everyone that knows us , tell us that they have never seen such a closeness of two souls. Lately though…..I have noticed him quiet, wanting to just slam our door closed when he comes home .maybe to escape our reality….. I don’t know exactly how to put into words. We constantly get bombarded with the realization that Gerry will never be here again. For me, it‘s horrible!!
…but to see my beautiful boy struggling to figure out all this crap just kills me.

MNO: I see, so this tragedy has had a big effect on Seany, your son?

Byron: Mike…..I don’t know you very well…….but I have to tell someone and I trust you ….my brother Gerry was not just an uncle to Seany…..He also represented his Grandpa, as well as a good understanding friend. Seany always would sit with Gerry and find the answers that he needed to hear. He would call him weekly .

You see, Gerry always helped both Seany and me in so many ways. He would LISTEN to us without judgment and try and understand how we felt . Sometimes a Dad & a son or daughter need Individual space , to be free to say what’s on their minds to someone that cares . Gerry always opened his heart to help us .

MNO: What other changes has all this brought to Sean’s life? School? Hobbies?

Byron: Both Seany and I were paralyzed when we were awakened at 2:59 am by 3 policemen pounding our door down last Labor Day. I didn’t sleep for 7 days…Seany finally passed out 5 days latter on the couch. My Mom flew down As fast as she could to help us. Everywhere we went , people would hug us and cry and ask us how we were doing.

 Our phones rang and rang. Emails after emails. All of these wonderful people were truly concerned about us. Seany could not make himself go to school. His school tried to fail him because of all this. He was devastated. I had to call the Governor’s office and vehemently defend my boy’s reasons. Three days latter I got a call from his school telling me that
Seany was welcome back to his school…….This was an awful thing for him. How dare anybody dictate a time for grieving !!!!!!!!!!

Especially to a beautiful boy caught up in a horrific tragedy. Both Seany and I really haven’t wanted to go out much since Gerry was killed. We use to always go to Sebastian Inlet and fish and play like we were on a deserted island. Build a campfire, and cook (hopefully) fresh fish and then Gerry would come over and eat and talk. I try to be a good example to my son Mike……

But I just can’t hide my pain and he knows it. Too many nights we both just lay in my bed….looking at the ceiling….not saying a word but knowing how much we need each other….He lost more than an uncle……that’s all I can say.….

(Cell phone rings)

Byron: Excuse me Mike.

MNO: Sure, go ahead.

Byron: Sorry, That was Seany….He calls me 5 to 8 times a day since Gerry’s death. We both always say I Love You a hundred times a day. I am not complaining at all . I truly love that boy so much ! He seems to be scared of …”WHATS NEXT ??” syndrome.
Maybe he is frightened with the possibility of loosing me ya know?….

MNO: And you? How has Gerry’s death effected your life?

Byron: (long pause)…

Gerry and I were not just brothers…we were best friends. Confidants of life. He would listen till 2 in the morning about all the crap I went thru and still not be judgmental. He studied all the religions in the world and always would come up with the perfect idea. I still almost stop by his place every day to say hi but then I remember…

Gerry didn’t like to cook , so Seany &I always did for him. If we were making killer lasagna, we would double the amount and take it over to uncle Gerry’s every week. A lot of the times Gerry would come over and bring his guitars and play the most beautiful music while Seany & I would be cooking.

Matter of fact, he played the most beautiful version of “GREENSLEVES “ in the whole world. Every time I would ask him to play that………… This Christmas did not come to Seany & Me .We both would get tears in our eyes listening to music….especially Greensleeves on the radio .14 years… we cooked for him and he always would say to me “I m so proud of you brother”…I miss that in my life now a days.

MNO: Do you think that this has been harder for you, your son and family because Gerald’s death involved a celebrity?

Byron: Of course,. So many more people know of the famous Billy lane. I mean , the first newspaper article barely mentioned my brother Gerry. They were more interested in the famous man that killed Gerry.

MNO: Did you know who Billy Lane was before this incident? Sean?

Byron: No. I really didn’t know of him. Seany and his friends new OF him.

MNO: And the rest of your family? What feelings have they expressed?

Byron: Mom has been devastated by all this !!! She doesn’t know what to think or do .She basically now hides in her home and tries to not think of this tragedy. Thank God that my little sister Squirt lives close by.

Mom doesn’t drive so Squirt picks her up and brings her to her home .Mom still just cleans around the home and worries about our families reality now that Gerry is gone. I am embarrassed to say that Mom probably worries too much for Seany & me and what we go thru here in all of this mess. I love my Mom so much and worry that this tragedy has broken her heart and the will to keep on.

MNO: Did anyone from the media try to talk to your Mom at her home in Ohio, I mean outside of Florida media?

Byron: No , I don’t think so Mike but then again , I am afraid to talk with her like I always use to. I don’t want to take a chance of getting her more upset.

MNO: And you? What was the media attention like when this all first happened?

Byron: From the day after Billy lane killed my Bro all hell broke loose in our lives: .Reporters, photographers, journalists , policemen, coroners, lawyers, prosecutors, Florists, funeral homes, Doctors, …Ya get it ???

Reporters at Seany’s school, waiting for us at home,…a nightmare

MNO: Now?

Byron: Still get hundreds of emails from all over the USA everyday, and phone calls and letters and blogs …. Mostly supporting our cause.

MNO: I’d like to hear more about Gerald. Can you tell me what kind of a person was he?as a Brother?

Byron: He was my friend, my best friend as Seany let me know. You see , I have been a single Dad with my kids for along time. I happen to believe that my kids came 1^st.

Therefore I didn’t go out a lot . I stayed at home and mostly spent time with Gerry. Yea, he was my big brother…and I mean big too. Every single time I saw him , he would give me a big Viking hug and say :”I’m so proud of you !!”

I was lucky I guess to have a bro and a friend in one .Gerry always tried to help. I mean help anyone. I really don’t believe that he knew just how much he helped so many others. To be truthful…I even didn’t know until he was gone myself how I depended on him just to be there.…We have gotten thousands and thousands of people around this great country telling us how Gerry and all this has helped them some way , some how. Many have told me that they have lost a loved one in a traffic tragedy like us. I only hope and pray that my sweet brother can see how much good he had done.

MNO: Did Gerald have a wife? Kids?

Byron: He was married at one time. His only kid you might say is my boy Seany. They had a wonderful relationship !!!!!!!!

MNO: And Gerald was a park ranger?

Byron: He worked at Sebastian Inlet Park and loved it ! Our Dad took us there as kids all the time when we vacationed from Ohio. I guess that’s like a big circle.

MNO: We know that Gerald had a Yamaha motor scooter. Did he have any other bikes?

Byron: He had a big ol BMW.

MNO: When did Gerald first start riding?

Byron: Not long I guess. Maybe a few years. He liked the wind in his face. But ya know what he really loved about bikes and bikers? He loved the idea of being a part of a group. A comrade. He would always tell me how great it felt when a bunch of Harleys would go by and WAVE to him……And now so many more are waving and supporting him and us……he was right,………..bikers are more than cool !!!

MNO: Gerald wore a helmet when riding?

Byron: The 1^st day he got his bike I came over. We both went out
and found a killer helmet! He looked really cool in it too.

MNO: So, Gerry enjoyed riding motorcycles. Other articles I had read said that Gerald was thinking about selling his scooter?

Byron: Well , I was always trying to talk him into getting a sports car with some more METAL around him. He loved the feeling of a bike though.

MNO: I think I read somewhere that before this incident, you and Sean did not know much about the biker community?

Byron: I grew up with a lot of bikers but for some reason I was afraid to
ride myself. I always liked most of the bikers I met, kinda like fishermen….

MNO: And these days, what are your feelings towards bikers?

Byron: Both Seany and I as well as my Mom And Squirt now have only love and good feelings towards bikers all over this great country !!

MNO: Byron, you have a computer, correct? How long have you been “on line”?

Byron: Yes , got 2 of them. I’ve been on line for several years now. why??

MNO: I was wondering if you have been reading these forums, blogs and on line articles about what happened?

Byron: That’s a 2 bladed answer my friend.

MNO: Okay, have you become active in any of these?

Byron: Some….mostly to defend my brother!!!

MNO: Some of the threads seem to get out of control and it appears that you might have been hurt by some of the things said. Is there anything you might want to say about that?

Byron: What has happened to me and my family has happened to way to many others before us. Trying to get thru day by day is bad enough. But to get emails from all over with comments to look at a blog because of a hurtful remark is heartbreaking all over again…

I am at awe with the maybe millions that seem to be supporting our cause in this tragedy. From all our locals here on the beach, friends, M.A.D.D. and B.A.D.D. members from Germany to Japan!!! At the same time it only takes a few bad remarks or false statements said to bring this big Ohioan to tears. Maybe some do not understand the whole situation.

MNO: What about the way some have chose to turn certain threads into a mob scene and hateful remarks against Gerald, you or your family?

Byron: There are several reasons that I will respond to a few hate mails towards my Bro or my family.

One being that I promised my Son, Seany, that Labor Day night that I would never give up , NEVER

The other reason is to try and turn this tragedy into something positive to help others…Gerry would want that. But I guess the single and most important reason that I will fight for our cause is very simple and plain…..

” A BROTHER”S LOVE>>>IS A BROTHER”S LOVE”

MNO: And those who do so against Billy Lane?

Byron: I think that it is wrong. The man that killed my Brother has to go thru our legal and civil system. I once said this statement but not many picked up on it except you Mike..: “ No matter what happens …..Everyone looses in this tragedy “

MNO: I know you can not answer many questions about the civil action filed against Billy Lane and DaimlerChrysler, but I want to just point out some things. Would that be okay? If I ask something that you can not answer, just tell me so.

Byron: Okay.

MNO: Your mother has filed an auto negligence suit against Dodge and Billy Lane for the wrongful death of your brother Gerald, correct? Ur, well I should say DaimlerChrysler I guess.

Byron: Yes. Against Billy Lane because he was driving and broke the law, Dodge because they owned the pickup that he was driving when Gerry was killed.

MNO: So Dodge is involved because it was their pickup that Lane was driving?

Byron: Yes, but that is all I can say for now.

MNO: Byron, thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak with you about all this, I know it is a hard thing for you to talk about.

I did a post on Gerald Morelock back in November of 2006 that includes many pictures of Gerry and his family. You can see that post by clicking here.

Technorati Tags: auto negligence, billy lane, civil suit, daimlerchrysler, dodge, dui, law, personal injury, trial

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