Community gathers to dedicate Tracey Sparling memorial ‘Pedal Garden’
PNCA President Tom Manley holds a plaque that will be mounted near the Pedal Garden.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
tracey sparling
PNCA set to unveil ‘Tracey Sparling Memorial Pedal Garden’
When 19-year old Tracey Sparling was killed while riding her bike in downtown Porltand on October 11th, 2007, it shook our city to the core. When, just 11 days later, Brett Jarolimek suffered a similar fate in a collision in north Portland, we experienced a unprecedented, citywide outpouring of grief and activism. For the community of students and staff at the Pacific Northwest College of Art the tragedies were particularly hard to accept because both Sparling and Jarolimek were students. Sparling was likely on her way to class when she was struck.
Later this month, PNCA will unveil the ‘Tracey Sparling Pedal Garden’, which will serve as a memorial to Sparling and, “an iconic bike-centric sculpture garden that supports and strengthens Portland’s cycling community.”[Read more…]
PNCA plans ‘Tracey Sparling Memorial Pedal Garden’
Preliminary concept drawing of Tracey Sparling Memorial Pedal Garden.
(Drawing by David Boekelheide and Evan Holt/PNCA)
(Drawing by David Boekelheide and Evan Holt/PNCA)
TriMet tragedy, like Sparling case, shows gap in Oregon law
“This is precisely why the BTA, WPC [Willamette Pedestrian Coalition] and I are calling for a vehicular homicide law. There ought to be some higher level of consequence when you use a deadly weapon to kill someone, even if you didn’t do it on purpose.
— Ray Thomas, lawyer
Yesterday, Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Chuck Sparks released a report (PDF here) on the fatal TriMet bus crash that killed two people and injured three others while they walked across a street in downtown Portland on April 24th.
According to the report, the lead police investigator found that “the driver was entirely at fault in causing this crash,” but, after looking at all the evidence and hearing from 33 witnesses, the Grand Jury opted to not bring criminal charges against bus operator Sandy Day.
On the surface, this seems outrageous: Ms. Day drove her vehicle through a crosswalk without being able to see whether or not someone was in it (due to a blind spot). While Ms. Day clearly did not have criminal intentions, she violated a traffic law and her negligence to clear her blind spots resulted in the death of two people. [Read more…]
Church will give Tracey Sparling’s ghost bike a permanent home
Tracey Sparling’s ghost bike, as it
stood on the corner of W. Burnside and
14th from October 2007 to October 2009.
(Photo © J. Maus)
stood on the corner of W. Burnside and
14th from October 2007 to October 2009.
(Photo © J. Maus)
The ghost bike that served as a memorial to Tracey Sparling, the 19-year old art student who was struck and killed by a cement truck on W. Burnside back in 2007, will become part of a permanent shrine in St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in downtown Portland.
The bike will be installed along with a plaque in the Portland Bicycle Shrine that the church dedicated last year. A ceremony will be held in conjunction with the event this Tuesday (4/13) at 5:30 pm.[Read more…]
Sparling family files lawsuit against trucking company
According to The Oregonian, the family of Tracey Sparling — the 19-year who was killed when a cement truck turned right into her in October 2007 — has filed a lawsuit against the trucking company.
Here’s more from The Oregonian:
“The suit was filed Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court against the driver and his company. The suit accuses the driver of negligence for not yielding the right of way under Oregon law and failing to use his mirrors and control the vehicle owned by Rinker Materials.”
PNCA staffer who rallied after tragedies receives award
Michael Hall oversaw memorials
for two PNCA students last fall.
(Photo © J. Maus)
for two PNCA students last fall.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Michael Hall, Dean of Student Services at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, has received a community award from the NW Examiner for his role in creating awareness and promoting bike safety in the wake of two tragic deaths last year.
The death of 19 year-old PNCA art student Tracey Sparling, followed by the death of PNCA alum Brett Jarolimek in a span of less than two weeks last October sent shockwaves through the close-knit school.
According to the NW Examiner, Hall reacted by going above and beyond his duties to not only support the student community, but to help them cope and become more aware of bike safety.[Read more…]
One year later: Remembering Tracey and Brett
The ghost bike for Tracey Sparling (at the corner of W. Burnside and 14th in downtown Portland) with fresh flowers placed by family members on the one-year anniversary of her death.
(Photos © J. Maus)
(Photos © J. Maus)
A memorial sculpture and stencil (since removed) for Brett Jarolimek at the intersection of N. Interstate and Greeley.
A bittersweet bike box
The new bike box at W. Burnside and 14th.
Video below
(Photos © J. Maus)
Video below
(Photos © J. Maus)
On Monday, the city of Portland installed a bike box in the SE corner of W. Burnside and 14th streets in downtown Portland — the same intersection where Tracey Sparling was killed nine months ago.
This is the eighth bike box the City has installed in the past four months since the first one went in at SE Hawthorne and 7th. [Read more…]
Bells ring in Portland’s first Blessing of the Bikes
In a respectful and poignant outdoor ceremony, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Northwest Portland held their first-ever Blessing of the Bikes on Sunday.
The service opened with a hymn and continued with a series of prayers and intercessions meant to recognize and celebrate the contribution of cyclists to the community.
A large wooden cross was carried out into the courtyard and a bicycle was placed atop a table at the base of the cross. A small, yet sincere crowd of about 40 or so people had gathered under blue skies to hear the rites and take heed of the blessing. [Read more…]
