Elections, Ads and Bicycles.

I look forward to chatting with you today about two items. The first of which is a walk down memory lane and the second deals with a safety issue.

Now that the holidays are behind us, we can begin to concentrate on the issues, such as the important election coming up in the Fall. It is important to be prepared for the onslaught of emails, flyers, TV ads, and radio spots that will dominate our lives. I know that doesn’t make you happy, but at least you won’t feel forgotten.

A good friend of mine here on Marco jokingly told me he recently hired a contractor to reinforce the mailbox post in his yard. He and I laughed at the absurdity of having to do that but thought back to a recent election. During that election cycle, we had a referendum vote regarding vacation rentals. I never saw so much junk mail in my life, and even though 56% of those who voted were in favor of the referendum, their vote was discarded, as well as tons of advertisements, and Santa and Grandma still showed up.

While we are talking about elections, that reminds me of our friends Jennifer Edwards and her husband Ronnie. As you know, Jennifer was our longtime Supervisor of Elections. What great neighbors they were to those of us who live here on the island and the county. Her presence at events throughout our community was always welcomed here and throughout the county. Now, that in no way is meant to cast aspersions upon her predecessor, Mellissa Blazier, who is doing a fabulous job. Jennifer’s shoes were certainly large ones to fill, and I think the governor chose a great replacement in Melissa, who served as Jennifer’s Chief Deputy for the last ten years for a total of 17 years in that office.

When I speak about Jennifer, I can’t help but recall the embarrassing coverage that the media gave the state when we had the debacle concerning the election in 2000. Ironically, the “hanging-chad” issue was generated in a county on the east coast of Florida. Counties such as ours and the vast majority of Florida came out as a flawless operation thanks to professionals such as Jennifer and her wonderful staff. We can only hope for another great performance during the upcoming elections.

I look forward to an issues-free election in 2024 and wish all potential candidates the best of luck.

The other item I wanted to throw out there on this chilly morning deals with the issue of electric bikes, skateboards and other contraptions running up and down our sidewalks and on our bike paths. Don’t get me wrong, the shared use pathways are great. Especially those that run up and down Collier Boulevard which provides a safe space for walkers and bicyclists to make their way safely down that pathway.

When they first started talking about them, I did not believe that we’d ever see one bicyclist on them, never mind the hundreds of bikers that do utilize them on a daily basis. Of course, I never envisioned bikes that could be propelled by electric batteries, but they are here, and we can’t keep our heads buried in the sand regarding the impact they are having on us today.

For a segment of our population, it provides a cost affordable means of transportation to travel from home to work. For others, it relieves a parent from taking Johnny or Sally to their friend’s home or the movies. Unfortunately, they are a reality, and we have to deal with them.

My biggest concern is for the safety of those along the shared-use pathways and along our streets. It is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt, and I’m not talking about a scrape or a bruise, but I mean hurt and hurt badly. 

If you’re a bicyclist, whether running on pedal power or electric power you are required to adhere to all the conditions required of an automobile while on our public ways. That means stopping at stop signs, adhering to yield signage, yielding to pedestrians, and signaling for turns. If riding in the evening hours, you are required to have a front-facing white light and a rear-facing illuminated red light. In addition to that you must have an audible device, such as a horn or a bell. I might also add that a helmet makes sense, no matter what the age.

All you have to do is sit on Bald Eagle one evening to view the bikes coming down that street from their places of employment to view the visibility issues I’ve spoken about.

Courtesy on these pathways should be a number one priority and I know that is an increasing issue. A little courtesy can go a long way. Be cognizant of your environment and those around you. Walk to the right to allow those moving at a faster pace to pass you on the left and stay alert. I hope that we can accomplish adherence to these requirements through education and conformance and will look forward to that being done before a tragedy occurs.