Melissa Arrington killed cyclist Paul L’Ecuyer with her car in December 2006. Though she expressed remorse to the judge, she laughed out loud after a friend told her she should get a medal and a parade because she had “taken out” a “tree hugger, a bicyclist, a Frenchman and a gay guy all in one shot.” When the man said he knew it was a terrible thing to say, she responded, “No, it’s not.”

Arizona Superior Court Judge Michael Cruikshank said he found a telephone conversation between Arrington and an unknown male friend, a week after L’Ecuyer was killed, to be “breathtaking in its inhumanity.” He sentenced her Tuesday to 10 1/2 years — one year shy of the maximum.

Read more at FoxNews. Props to Warren T. Who is not a wimp.

Bicycle Leadership Conference

The 2008 Bicycle Leadership Conference begins tomorrow in San Diego, California. The first item on the agenda is the BLC Golf Tournament at the Steel Canyon Golf Club. The non-golfers can go for a bike ride.

Saturday morning, Interbike consultant Lance Camisasca will have a breakfast presentation to discuss the possibility of moving Interbike out of Las Vegas after the 2009 show. “We want to be prepared to provide the best shows possible.” Camisasca said. “At last year’s conference, we gained valuable insight from the manufacturers and retailers who attended and I think that everyone left with a better understanding of the multiple factors we consider when entertaining the idea of possibly moving a major show. We hope this year will be equally beneficial as we discuss our recommendations for the show in the coming years.”

Sunday morning, Trek Bicycle Company President John Burke will deliver the industry keynote address, where he will talk about “The Bicycle Industry’s Greatest Opportunity” expanding on his campaign for increased cycling advocacy in the bicycle industry. See Bicycle Leadership Conference website for details.

Celebrity Time Trials

The Local Organizing Committee for the 2008 Tour of California Prologue in Palo Alto will give local cyclists an opportunity to give it their all on the official individual time trial route before the race begins on Sunday, February 17. The highest bidders in an auction will be able to test their speeds against some of the best cyclists in the world on the closed time trial course from Palo Alto City Hall to Stanford University. A press conference to present the details starts about a half from from now at Palo Alto Bicycles on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto.

“Car culture if fading.”

Those are the words of Nissan Motors General Manager for Product Strategy Tom Lane in this interview from the Detroit auto show. Via Bike Portland.

Innovate Or Die contest winner

From the Google Blog:

The contest said to “Innovate or Die” – and Team Aquaduct lives! In fact, the San Bruno, California team – consisting of John Lai, Adam Mack, Brian Mason, Eleanor Morgan, Paul Silberschatz – is living in grand (prize) style today after winning the first Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine contest.

Team Aquaduct was declared the winner out of 102 entries by building a unique and functional solution to provide rural communities with access to clean water. The quintet will share the $5,000 grand prize, and each will receive a Specialized Globe bicycle – as will all five of the finalist runners-up (read more about all the winners).

The contest encouraged people to evaluate environmental issues and develop ingenious solutions surrounding climate change. Many original and inspiring ideas emerged; make sure to visit the YouTube Innovate or Die page to view all of the entries.

Visit the Google Blog for details and video.

More bicycle news and blog commentary

• BBC Video Documentary: The Battle for Britain’s Streets.
• It’s Winter Bike to Work Day in Chicago. Via that strange chick who drinks just coffee.
• Give us our sidewalks.
• Guns and bikes.
• Realizing bicycling potential.
• Velorution: Fashion and bikes.
• Tree debris in the bike lanes, but it’s not just in Berkeley. The streets all over the Bay Area are still littered with eucalyptus branches and palm tree debris after the big storm two weeks ago.
• South Australia Tour Down Under.
• San Carlos, CA: Hit and run.
• Wash Post: Don’t honk at cyclists.
• I can’t believe Seattle still has these storm drains that are dangerous to cyclists.