Tigard school teacher Eric Kautzky was killed in June of 2005 by a teenager who fell asleep at the wheel (more on Kautzky here).
Evan Manvel of the BTA just forwarded me this news release from Salem from the office of State Representative Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville). It’s an announcement of a special ceremony this Sunday (Father’s Day) to honor Kautzky. Here’s an excerpt:
Special Bike Safety Project Launched Sunday in Sherwood
Rep Krummel Honors Memory of Fallen Cyclist on Fathers’ DayA special ceremony will be held in Sherwood Sunday to kick off a new bike safety project and honor a well know cyclist and former Tigard High School athletic trainer from Durham who was killed a year ago along Tualatin-Sherwood Road. “Eric Kautzky was a personal friend and professional colleague. I had a great deal of respect for him. It seems only fitting that on this Father’s Day we honor a man who was a father figure to so many,” said State Representative Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville). “We all need to take responsibility to ensure our roads are safe, by being careful and looking out for others. That’s what ‘share the road’ means.”
Family and friends of the 56-year old Kautzky will gather at 2 PM Sunday June 18th, at the intersection of Tualatin-Sherwood Road and SW Wildrose Place. The Washington County Land Use and Transportation Department is installing a new bike safety sign in memory of Kautzky near that intersection, the first of its kind in the Oregon. Krummel is working on legislation to make these memorial signs available statewide.
Thanks for reading.
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It is good to hear that a memorial is going up for this person. Makes me happy.
But, what upsets me, once again, is the removal of two memorials at the highly trafficed, highly visual, spot where the Fabulous Kristine was killed, on Alder and Broadway, downtown.
While one of the memorials was a morbid, and not well like chalk outline on the bike lane, and I for one am happy that was worn away, the other was a ghost bike, which has also dissapeared.
I am putting out here the challenge to the BTA to represent the messenger community for us, and work towards a sign, and memorial, there, for Kristine.
She was, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating, caring people I have ever met.
There has never been a sign, or memorial in place for any messenger killed in this city.
This is a travesty. The working cyclist is one of the most important parts of a good, cycling city.
There is every reason to put a memorial on this spot, a highly visual sign on a pole, to be viewed from pedestrians on the sidewalk, and a “Tastefull” sign painted on the bike lane in the same spot.
Collectively, we have already decided what to paint on the bike lane. I know, we could do this ourselves any time the weather will allow it.
But, what really needs to be done is to get the city to do it properly for us, a Permanent Memorial, to remind us all to be careful, and live a great life.
I appreciate any and all input on this note, and, once again, I commend the effort to memorialize Erik.