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Is the Second Amendment in jeopardy

Mike Odom — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:57:28 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is scary!
Currently, our freedom and rights including the Second Amendment right to bear arms have legislation threats from our own government. But this video provided by the NRA shows that anti-gun politics and organizations here in the United States are not the only evil lurking to destroy American rights. There are other countries in alliance with the UN and a evil organization called IANSA that want to take away our right to defend or home and family.
It is wrong that so many have given the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, The Constitution of The United States and the Bill of Rights. Currently we have troops in hostile environments fighting in wars putting their lives on the line to defend freedom. How can we, as Americans, stand by and watch as our rights are being subjected to deterioration! As our troops are over in distant lands fighting for our rights, we not only owe them our support. We also owe it to them and those who have fought before them to defend those very same freedoms from the enemy here in our own country. Americans here on the home front were given the right to keep and bear arms by the founders of our great country. It is also written that that right shall not be infringed. However, now has come the time when we must stand up and let our voices be heard. Today with the threats at hand that want to take away those very same rights, it becomes our responsibility to defend those rights and our freedom.
So, in this post I have presented to you a problem, but I also want to provide you some solutions.
On April 19, 2010 The Second Amendment March will be held in Washington DC. Visit The Second Amendment March web site for more information and make plans to attend. Join the NRA and GOA

Technorati Tags: second amendment march, DC, guns, law

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Billy Lane Trial Update – Prosecutor’s motion granted, defense motion in wings

Mike Odom — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:08:41 +0000

The hospital medical records of Melbourne, Florida custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane will now be allowed to be used as evidence in the DUI Manslaughter case against him. Choppers Inc. owner Billy Lane is facing criminal charges resulting from the Labor Day weekend crash of 2006 that left Melbourne Beach resident Gerald Morelock dead. The victim, Gerald Morelock was killed when he was hit head on by the Dodge pickup that Lane was driving at the time. Witnesses claim that Lane was speeding and had crossed a double yellow line in an attempt to pass 3 vehicles on State Road A1A when the crash occurred.

Billy Lane and his passenger, Erin Derrick were both taken to Holmes Regional hospital in Melbourne after the crash with injuries, Lane and Derrick were treated and released. Prosecutors in the DUI Manslaughter trial had filed a motion with the court to obtain copies of Lane’s medical records to be examined and possibly used as evidence in the case.

Judge Meryl Allawas ruled in favor of the motion on Tuesday allowing Lane’s medical records to be used in the trial. The defense attorneys for Lane argued that the records should not be allowed and contend that they are private. Defense attorney, Greg Eisenmenger has filed a motion to suppress the blood work taken from Billy Lane after the crash. Eisenmenger’s Motion In Limine says the state failed to comply with Florida Department of Law Enforcement rule 11D-8.012(5). The motion says that he has discovered that blood was not properly handled by not being refrigerated as required by the FDLE code.

FDLE Code 11D-8.012(5) states: “Blood samples need not be refrigerated if submitted for analysis within seven (7) days of collection, or during transportation, examination or analysis. Blood samples must be otherwise refrigerated, except that refrigeration is not required subsequent to the initial analysis”.

The burden of proof will be on the State of Florida to demonstrate they have complied with the FDLE rules. The defense also filed a motion for independent blood analysis, but Judge Allawas is not happy with the independent lab being located so far away and has not ruled on the motion yet. Independent toxicologist Lawrence Masten of Largo, Florida has been retained by the defense to analyze the blood work, but the lab he uses, Rocky Mountain Instrumental Labs is located in Ft. Collins, Colorado thousands of miles away.

Custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane, shown above with defense attorney Gregory Eisenmenger has been present in court during the last few calendar calls. Eisenmenger has several motions to suppress the blood work yet to be heard by the court including the Motion To Limine (mentioned above) and another “motion to suppress the blood draw and resulting test”.

The motion to suppress the blood draw and resulting test was filed on September 28th, 2007 and states that the attending paramedic the night of the crash had detected the odor of alcoholic beverage in the cab of the vehicle and on the passenger. The same paramedic that provided that information did not detect any alcoholic beverage coming from the Defendant, Billy Lane. However, the paramedic did detect an obvious odor of alcoholic beverage from the passenger when he treated her. The female passenger in the truck on September 4, 2006 was 22 year old Erin Derrick of Rockledge, Florida.

The motion also states that registered nurse, Wayne Stewart, withdrew the blood from the Defendant as directed by Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Davis. Nurse Stewart testified that he did not detect the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Billy Lane at or before the blood draw.

the final paragraph of the motion reads: “Withdrawal of blood without consent is only permitted when an officer has knowledge of an accident involving death or serious bodily injury and some evidence that the suspect is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Troopers Taylor and Davis, even taking into account the information known to trooper Corbett (but not communicated to Davis or Taylor) did not have any evidence of the Defendant being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the blood draw, so the draw is illegal. Because the draw was illegal, the Defendant is likewise entitled to suppression of the blood test results.”

These motions are expected to be heard before the court on November 6, 2007 at 9:00 am. The actual trial of Billy Lane is not expected to start until early 2008. Lane could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted on the non capital murder charge of DUI Manslaughter.

Technorati Tags: billy lane, motorcycle news, DUI, manslaughter, drunk driving, court, celebrity justice, Melbourne, Florida, choppers inc

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Biketoberfest 2007 Entertainment Calendar

Mike Odom — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:07:36 +0000

Biketoberfest Bands and Bars October 18-21:

Joe Santana and Motley Jackson can be seen at Boot Hill Saloon ( both locations), Thunder Gulch and Cabbage Patch Bar Check the band schedule here.

Rebel Son will be appearing at the Boot Hill both locations.

Iron Horse Saloon has no schedule posted, so just drop in and see what is happening! Be sure to check out the California Hell Riders on the Wall of Death while you are there.

Broken Spoke Saloon featured artist concert, see Bret Michaels ( Poison front man) on October 20th

Blackfoot will be performing live at the White Eagle Lounge in Korona on October 19

The Battlegrounds presents “The Monsters of Mock” mega tribute rock and roll band show! Two shows the 19^th and 20^th 3pm to 9pm 5 monster rock tribute bands will hit the stage sounding and looking like the real bands. Highway to Hell (AC/DC) Stones Throw (Rolling Stones) Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin) ZZ Not (ZZ Top) and Fleetwood Max (Fleetwood Mac) with two show dates this is one concert series you won’t want to miss.

Women’s Coleslaw Wrestling on Saturday 12:00 noon at The Cabbage Patch Bar Samsula, Florida. Cabbage Patch has added streaming video on the bar web site.

Pudding Wrestling at the No Name Saloon on Friday 10:00 am with other contest and live music during the weekend.

Saturday October 20^th drop on by the Daytona Lagoon water park to see some the finest looking custom motorcycles in the world at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show.

This entertainment list is not a complete listing of all the things to do during Biketoberfest, but I have put together some of the top places to listen to free live concerts and have fun. Of course, all events are subject to change and it is suggested that you check the web site links provided or call ahead to verify. This list may also be updated from time to time before my departure for Daytona late tomorrow, Friday. Check back for more information.

Technorati Tags: biketoberfest, biketober, motorcycle events, bike shows, motorcycles, Daytona Beach, Florida, Ormond Beach, blog, concerts, live music, entertainment

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Blog Action Day Post – Gopher Tortoise

Mike Odom — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:58:22 +0000

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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Sanford Bikefest over on to Daytona for Biketoberfest

Mike Odom — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:02:46 +0000

We hit Sanford early morning for bikefest, not sure why we left so early, but we did. We hit the local McDonalds for breakfast and I am really not sure why we did, but we did. After killing time in town with breakfast and stopping to get some super 8 tape, we rolled back into the event area close to 9:00 am.

With fall here, which we do not experience in Florida, the days are getting shorter so the early morning lighting sucks for taking pictures. The back neighborhood streets are beginning to remind me of Daytona Beach with the ride quiet signs as WESH channel 2 news reports complaints about the noise.

Local news reports an expected growth for the Sanford motorcycle event, but if there was it seemed minimal to me. There did seem to be a larger amount of biker event vendors. There were more tattoo vendors then the previous year and more parts and accessory vendors made the walk down East Seminole a little more interesting.

One truly notable vendor we came across was Redz Custom Airbrush where their motto is “boring paint should be a crime”. The custom airbrush paint work on this bike was anything but boring. The amount of work spent on the detail of this paint shows right down to the rivets.

The Can-Am Spyder demo rides were a big hit. You could see trails of these things buzzing around the area all day.

A pretty unique 3 wheel vehicle called the Spyder Roadster powered by the Rotax V990 engine. I listened as most of the comments of the demo riders were positive.

This year the Bikefest visitor’s were treated to two stunt rider shows. About every hour and a half there was a street bike stunt show followed up by motocross jumpers.

These riders were good, performing 3 at a time doing wheelies, stoppies and burnouts. They had a pretty awesome finish to the show were all 3 bikes would slide in together and the rider would dismount. The kind of stuff you do not do on the open roads.

They moved the bike show out to the main event area this year which was kind of nice, but from a photographer’s view the grass could have been cut deeper before opening day.

I needed to find a nice looking purple motorcycle to submit to the Flickr Lupus Awareness group purple photos and I found this sharp looking custom built by JZ Riders of Sanford. I looked through most of the pictures that had been submitted to help create Lupus awareness and I had not seen any motorcycles, so I think I was able to send in something unique with this motorcycle picture.

I guess these pie eating contests are going to come back into style at motorcycle events. I shot the contest this year at Leesburg and Sanford now too. If Daytona decides to have an eating contest, I am hoping they will do Krystal hamburgers. I can eat a sack load of those little guys.

Daytona Biketoberfest is coming up this weekend!

Technorati Tags: bikefest, sanford, motorcycle events, biketoberfest, daytona beach, bike shows, custom motorcycles

Sanford Bikefest this weekend

Mike Odom — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:53:52 +0000

Well its time for the end of the year wrap of of motorcycle events in Florida. With Biketoberfest only a week away, many locals will be heading out to Sanford Bikefest for a warm-up weekend.

Looking back on last year this time, I posted about the upcoming Bikefest, but I failed to post a followup on what happened at the weekend 2006 Florida motorcycle event.

Last year we stayed for all 3 days of the event and as we do for all motorcycle events we took along the tent to enjoy some camping. There is not a whole lot of camping areas around the Sanford area, which is surprising being there are many miles of undeveloped true Florida land.

A little search on Google netted us one of the nicest camping areas around. Lake Mills Park is a great place to pitch a tent and spend the weekend and is fairly close to Fort Mellon Park in Sanford where Bikefest is held.

This year we will only be visiting Sanford Bikefest on Saturday. The event is rather small and most of what there is to do and see can be done in one day.

We caught up with a few unusual motorcycles and modes of transportation last year. Notice anything unusual about this bike? Yep, you got it. This motorcycle has not one, but two kickstands!

This guy was demonstrating how to get to Sanford by water riding on a self propelled surfboard.

East Seminole Blvd. runs adjacent to Lake Monroe and is closed to motorcycle traffic only during Bikefest. You can catch some good motorcycle pictures along this road and a few more at the bike show early morning.

The Sanford Police motorcycle division had a little fun when JZ Riders Customs let them all take a spin around the block on the new line of Saxon motorcycles they had on display in the main Bikefest area.

Orlando radio station personality Shannon Burke rides the 104.1 “Real Bike” along with the parade of custom motorcycles.

One good thing about a smaller venue like the Sanford Bikefest is when its concert time, you can get right up close to the bands. Last year it was a treat to kick back and listen to Deep South. Check out the members of this band :

Artimus Pyle (formerly of Lynyrd Skynyrd), Robert Nix (formerly of Atlanta Rhythm Section), Jimmy Hall (formerly of Wet Willie), Hal McCormack, Dean Daughtry (formerly of Atlanta Rhythm Section), Chris Hicks (formerly of Marshall Tucker Band)

While Deep South was on stage, I got the special treat of chatting with Gene Odom who was Ronnie Van Zant’s personal bodyguard, security for the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Gene was on hand promoting his books and selling autographed copies.

Sanford Bikefest is small, but big enough to enjoy a day or two checking out some of the local custom motorcycle builder’s new creations, meet up with friends and enjoy the free concerts.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle events, bikefest, sanford, Florida, rides, music, custom motorcycles, events

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Morelock V. Billy Lane civil trial motion heard

Mike Odom — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:17:57 +0000

(Titusville, Florida) A calendar call was scheduled today at 1:30 pm in the civil trial filed against Billy Lane and Dodge by the Mother of Gerald Morelock for the wrongful death of her son.

The motion filed on behalf of Billy Lane and Dodge states that because evidence was found from a autopsy report showing that Gerald Morelock had alcohol in his blood, that the plaintiff should share responsibility in the crash. Lane was driving a promotional Dodge pickup loaned to him on labor day 2006 when he struck and killed Gerald Morelock. Billy Lane refused to submit to any type of alcohol test, but blood was taken 45 minutes after the September 4th crash and sent to The Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab.

Billy Lane’s BAC was returned by the FDLE crime lab reflecting a blood alcohol level of .192, while the autopsy report of Gerald Morelock later showed he had a blood level of .133. The attorneys for the defense of Billy Lane and DaimlerChrysler filed the motion hoping to show that the plaintiff could have had equal responsibility in the crash for this reason.

The motion was denied by the court when Attorney Sam Cacciatore pointed to case law showing that this motion would hold the “Plaintiff” at partial fault. The plaintiff in this case is Dolores Morelock, the mother of Gerald Morelock.

Mr. Cacciatore told me that the motion was suitable for a case were the plaintiff was injured. Because this is a wrongful death suit and Mrs. Morelock was the plaintiff, she could not be held responsible shared or otherwise for the crash. The civil action against Billy Lane and Dodge is scheduled to be heard in late August.

Billy Lane still faces a criminal charge of DUI Manslaughter from the same crash and could face up to 15 years in jail. No trial date has been set for the criminal case yet.

Technorati Tags: DUI, DWI, Billy Lane, Dodge, Melbourne, Titusville Florida, court, trial, civil, criminal, law, motorcycle news

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2nd Annual Shannon Burke Real Ride to benefit Boggy Creek Camp

Mike Odom — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:47:57 +0000

Got to hurry! The Burke Real Ride is coming up this weekend, Sunday May 20th. You can purchase your Real Ride tickets here. Portions of the proceeds will benefit to Boggy Creek Camp that serves enrich the lives of children who have chronic or life threatening illnesses. So like most every motorcycle ride or run, you get to have a great time among friends and help those out in need.

You can read my post Coverage of the Burke Real Ride about last year’s ride to see more about how the event went and meet some of the WTKS Real Radio 104.1 personalities like Daniel, Black Bean, Drunky the Bear and Dirty Jim. Yea, I know the Drunky the Bear link goes to his my space profile. Drunky is one of my my space friends, so I had to give him a plug.

This year The Monsters will be performing at Destination Daytona were the ride will end, but lunch will be served and the party begins. If you missed The Monsters in concert during Leesburg Bikefest, here is your chance to see them again. Don’t miss out this time.

Real Riders will get entry into the ride, lunch and a Real Ride T Shirt.

Shannon, Cindi and I should get shirts for all the promotion that I do …. hint hint. We will be there at the 12:00 start off form Ker’s Wing House in Altamonte and taking pictures along the ride and during the party at Bruce Rossmeyer’s. See you there!

Check out WTKS 104.1 Real Radio for The Monsters and The Shannon Burke Show and not to forget SBK

Technorati Tags: motorcycle events, real ride, destination daytona, florida, motorcycles, daytona beach, ormond beach

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Leesburg Bikefest 2007 – looking forward to next year.

Mike Odom — Sun, 13 May 2007 01:01:27 +0000

A pair of bikers riding into town with the words “Leesburg Rules” on the horns decorating their helmets. The 2007 edition of Leesburg Bikefest was huge with more shows and stages added this year, the entertainment was non-stop.

One of the biggest concert draws was the performance of the Real Radio 104.1 Monsters of the Morning. This concert packed a crowd of Monster fans that filled the front stage area early before the concert began. But what did the Monsters think of the crowd and appearing on the Budweiser stage at Leesburg Bikefest?

Well, Bubba Wilson, the musical director for the Monsters gives the 2007 Leesburg motorcycle event a thumbs up.

Tiffany dressed in very little pink was fired up and ready to rock on her birthday.

The Leesburg crowd loved the Monsters in concert. If you have never listened to these guys, they have a radio show on a local station you can listen live at Real Radio 104.1.

As predicted the weather for the Bikefest weekend was perfect, but it was hot. Not as hot as this rider’s pipes, but it was hot with a few cloud sun breaks. There were a few tents that had been accommodated with mist showers for event visitors to cool down.

A new event, at least I think it is, was the Bob Evan’s pie eating contest. As much as I like food I don’t think I could ever do a food eating contest. One exception would be a Krystal hamburger eating contest. I can put those things away, but then again I have never timed myself.

What is it about beads that makes a crowd go crazy?

The demonstration area at the Rat’s Hole always had something going on including bike games (this was fun to watch), Drill Teams and street bike stunt shows.

And the motorcycle traffic on main street is non-stop during Leesburg Bikefest.

And of course, the Rat’s Hole Ratmate contest winners. If you have never made the trip to this Florida motorcycle event, you need to put Leesburg Bikefest on your list of must rides for 2008!

Technorati Tags: motorcycle events, florida, leesburg, bikefest, motorcycle news

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Leesburg Bikefest – Quiet Riot and 3 day Rat’s Hole Bike Show

Mike Odom — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:20:50 +0000

Leesburg Bikefest April 27-29 in Leesburg, Florida will feature a three day Rat’s Hole custom motorcycle show and rock band Quiet Riot Saturday night on the main stage. Announced on the Rat’s Hole web site the Leesburg bike show will be open all three days of the Florida motorcycle event.

Friday April 27th the Rat’s Hole will open with the Leesburg biker showcase. Saturday the 28th will be the Leesburg Bikefest 07 custom motorcycle show and will include a Ratmate contest. Sunday is metric madness day.

The show will focus on metric bikes and get ready to witness the awesome street bike stunts performed by Teem Xtreem.

Leesburg, Florida really does welcome bikers and Main Street is for motorcycles only! Bring comfortable walking shoes though, because once you are parked you will be on foot the rest of the day and into the night as the party continues.

Quiet Riot will be on the main stage Saturday night. Other bands listed to perform during the three days of Bikefest include Confederate Railroad and the Monsters of the Morning just to list a few of the promised 40 concerts on 7 stages. All Free!

Leesburg Bikefest one Florida motorcycle event that you do not want to miss! More information can be found on the official Bikefest web site.

The amount of entertainment crammed into the 3 day motorcycle event includes concerts, 300+ vendors, Hawaiian Tropic/Ms Bikefest bikini contest, Ratmate contest. Biker games, Teem Xtreem stunt show, safety demonstrations and more.

Leesburg Bikefest Hotel Accommodations

Technorati Tags: biker events, florida, leesburg, motorcycle news, motorcycle shows, rats hole

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Interview with Byron Morelock

Mike Odom — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:51:44 +0000

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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Billy Lane’s Civil and Criminal Cases Clash

Mike Odom — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:39:38 +0000

Billy Lane’s new criminal attorney, Gregory Eisenmenger was present at the 4:15 pm hearing in the civil case filed against Billy Lane and DaimlerChrysler for the wrongful death of Gerald Morelock. Mr. Eisenmenger announced to the court that he was sitting in today because “ today’s hearing touches on advice I have given my client in the criminal case” and “I am here to help answer questions and advise”.

In fact, no questions were answered. The reason for today’s hearing was whether the questions would be answered or not. Also present today, by telephone, Sammy Cacciatore and Sam Cacciatore for plaintiff Dolores Morelock and Jefferey Vernis for Billy Lane. William McCandless, attorney for DaimlerChrysler was on the conference call as well.

Attorney Sam Cacciatore, filed a request for admissions with the court, asking Billy Lane to answer questions that could shorten the civil hearing time in court. Billy Lane’s civil and criminal attorneys agreed that it was in Billy Lane’s best interest to invoke the 5^th amendment and not answer the questions because the criminal trial for DUI Manslaughter against Lane was still on-going. Questions pertaining to venue, such as time, date and place were under objection. Criminal attorney Eisenmenger stated that it was up to the State of Florida to prove that the crash happened, adding that they must also prove where and when, along with the identity of the deceadant, Gerald Morelock in the criminal case against Lane. Eisenmenger later added that answering these questions could be extremely damaging to his client with the criminal charges still pending.

Most of the objections to the questions were sustained by Judge Moxley, as they were read to the court one by one. These questions will all be presented in a later article here on this blog. Judge Moxley did overrule on a few of the objectionable questions. Cacciatore had requested that Billy Lane produce all documents pertaining to any type of lease agreement that he had with Dodge for the Dodge Ram pickup that he was driving the night of the crash. In response, civil attorney Vernis stated that there was no written agreement between Dodge and Billy Lane for the promotional vehicles that Lane had in his possession and control. Vernis called the question very broad for the plaintiffs to ask for any and all documents.

Objections were heard from both of Billy Lane’s attorneys when questions were asked about Erin Derrick, the female passenger with Billy Lane on the night of the crash. Attorney Sam Cacciatore said “ we have no idea what the relationship was” between Billy Lane and Erin Derrick. Eisenmenger, said that Ms. Derrick could be a link in the chain of evidence for the criminal case and had advised Lane not to answer. It was determined by the court that Lane would have to answer the question regarding his driving history by listing all traffic citations prior to the Labor Day crash. I asked attorney Greg Eisenmenger how he felt about the decisions. Eisenmenger stated “ I think the judge ruled appropriately in all respects.

I will elaborate as to all of the questions in a full article tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: billy lane, motorcycle news, blog, dui, trial, court, florida, celebrity news

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Bike Week Main Street Daytona Beach

Mike Odom — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 04:14:21 +0000

I guess one of the biggest draws to the famed Daytona Beach’s Main Street during bike week is for the cruising. Whether you choose to walk or ride this strip of bars, shops and restaurants that are packed along Main Street beginning at S. Peninsula Dr. that continues up to Ocean Ave., it is a people watching safari. Two and three wheeled vehicles of all shapes and sizes and covered with everything imaginable will appear on this strip at least once during the ten day Florida Motorcycle Event. Men and women from all over the world will visit Main Street to shop, eat and drink will checking out the masses that migrate to Daytona Beach annually for bike week.

Wet T shirt and bikini contest are almost an hourly event as the bars attempt to draw in thirsty spectators. Beer Tub Babes, half naked, draw the eye of people passing by while every cell phone with a camera is in hand to grab a shot to bring home as a souvenir of the visit to Daytona Beach, Florida.

The motorcycle industries top names also appear in this area. I was lucky enough to catch custom motorcycle builder Russell Mitchell of Exile Cycles working on a build at Automatic Slim’s on Main Street next to Dirty Harry’s saloon. The bike Russell is working on was to be presented to John Mellencamp and will be featured in Motorcycle Mania 4 to be aired in April.

With all the things to see on Main Street, the number 1 attraction? Babes. Biker Babes, Beer-Tub Babes, babes in chaps and bikini babes.

There is always plenty of great looking eye candy on the strip in Daytona.

More Bike Week Babes on my Bike Week Daytona web site.

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle news, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events

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Bike Week Final Saturday Wild

Mike Odom — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:35:10 +0000

Staying at home in my bed after tent camping for 6 nights made it hard to get out of the sack early Saturday morning to return to Daytona Beach for the Rat’s Hole custom bike show, but I did. The annual Florida motorcycle event was not extremely busy the first few days, in fact up until Wednesday the bike week scene seemed tamed. Putting aside the nightly party that was happening on our end of the campgrounds, but that is another story all together.

As promised, the weather for the first Saturday was cold and wet and the cold did not give way to warmer temperatures until Monday. The good thing was that out of the 10 days of bike week we only seen rain one day. We postponed our Daytona Loop photo shoot until Sunday due to the in climate weather on Saturday.

It is hard to wrap up nine days of bike week into one article, so I am not going to try. I am still in the process, but closed to finished, of sorting out the pictures that we took during our visit. The final Saturday of bike week was wild and crowded. Running late coming from Melbourne and getting caught in the Daytona Speedway traffic did not help. It took nearly an hour to get from the International Speedway Blvd. Exit of I-95 to the Daytona Lagoon were the Rat’s Hole bike show was being held.

For the first time, the Rat’s Hole featured a V8 Chopper build-off! The bikes and the main stage were set up in the Tidal Wave Pool that normally holds 500,000 gallons of water. The water was gone for the event…. wonder where they put 500,000 gallons of water while the bike show was set up? Any way, the show was held under blue skies and there was plenty to keep our cameras busy. I will do more on the Rat’s Hole later.

Heading down SR A1A to Main Street later in the afternoon to check out the happenings, we found that Main Street was wall to wall. Where there were not bikes, there were people and no room left for either. For the final Saturday of bike week 2007, Main Street took on the look of the bike week of days gone by. It was almost a feeling of “let’s see how far we can take this” pushing the red line on what would get by. It was a good thing and a good feeling to see people having fun, real fun. None of this”I am shocked at all this” looks. For Pete’s sake, if you want family atmosphere head over to Orlando. It is probably too late for the city to revive the entire event back to Daytona Beach, but it looks like they may get a day of the old days.

There were just as many people the entire time of Bike Week, with the exceptions of a lot of Floridians riding in for the day, it is just that they are more spread out now. US 1 has become the new Main Street and a lot of the traffic has been pulled to the North with the opening of Destination Daytona along with other anchor industry leaders like Corbin. New biker bars, custom chopper and motorcycle dealers and tattoo shops are popping up all around the Ormond Beach area. I will get to all this later on as well.

So, I am back from Daytona and will try to get as much information about what happened at the event posted in the next day or so. Keep an eye out for them.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, bike week, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events, bike shows

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Bike Week 2007 Annual Rider Info Meet and Greet Party

Mike Odom — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:26:10 +0000

The Daytona Bike Week 2007 Annual Rider Info Meet and Greet Party set for Saturday, March 10, at Art’s Place in De Leon Springs will feature The Bad Apple Band.

The annual Rider Info member appreciation party takes place the second Saturday of Daytona Bike Week beginning at approximately 12 noon with The Bad Apple Band performing at 1 PM. Admission is free.

All are welcome to attend the party and participate in a Best Bike Contest with five categories; Best Bike, Rat Bike, Farthest Trailered, Farthest Ridden, and a You Won prize to be given for reasons we have not made up yet.

There will be door prizes of RiderInfo.com tee shirts and food. Stop by and enter to win.

Arts Place
5115 US 17 (near Berlin St.)
De Leon Springs, Florida 32130
- 6.6 miles south of SR 40 on US 17 – 5.8 miles north of US 92 on US 17 –
Maps to Arts Place and local information.

Bring a friend and be prepared to have a good time. We look forward to meeting you.

Download and print the Daytona Bike Week 2007 Rider Info Meet and Greet Flyer.

More discussion on the Daytona Bike Week 2007 Rider Info Meet and Greet.

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle blog, events, biker forum

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