Darell Provencher
Greetings,
River City Bicycles and Team Rose City are proud to be hosting the second
annual Eric Kautsky Memorial Track Race on May 12, 2007. Whether you're
racing or not, come join us for the first points races and omniums of the
track racing season, and help contribute to Eric's legacy as a science
teacher and athletic trainer at Tigard High School.
Eric was a Team Rose City team mate that lost his life tragically on
Saturday, June 18, 2005, while out on an early morning training ride on
Tualatin-Sherwood Road. The accused 19-yr old motorist was found guilty and
sentenced to 17 months in prison for negligent homicide. Eric was 56 (see
Oregonian article dated April 5, 2006 below).
Team Rose City will honor Eric at the May 12th track race by giving our net
proceeds to the Eric Kautzky Memorial Scholarship Fund. Eric's Fund is now
administered by the Oregon Athletic Trainers Society (OATS). Eric was the
President of OATS from 1987-1991. Eric was a science teacher and a
well-known athletic trainer at Tigard High School for 24 years.
Applicants must be a high school graduate and planning to attend any
institute of higher education. Preference will be given to students planning
to pursue a career in athletic training and/or sports medicine. Last year
we donated $2900. So far the fund has issued scholarships to three very
deserving high school seniors, Joslin Alexander and Ben Millar from Tigard
High School, and Aakash Mankaney from Westview High School.
For a look at last year's pre-race coverage on KPTV's Good Day Oregon,
follow the link below to one of our key sponsors, CrankMyChain Cycle TV.
Many thanks to Dan Kaufman for his time and support of this event.
http://www.pdxk.com/crankmychain/2007/02/2007-eric-kautsky-memorial-track-ra
ce.html
KGW Channel 8 also produced a special report on Eric's untimely death, which
can be seen at the link below.
http://www.kgw.com/news/specialreports/stories//kgw_110306_specials_dead_tir
ed.1010c5c.html
In addition, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) will be sponsoring
legislation this year that will create stiffer penalties for motorists that
endanger or injure cyclists on the road -- Vulnerable Roadway Users Bill and
Senate Bill 299.
http://www.bta4bikes.org/
And many, many thanks to event sponsors Veloforma for merchandise prizes (to
be anounced soon -- thanks to Mark Duff), and Hincapie Sportwear (thanks
Rich Hincapie) for their in-kind donation of race-day custom-made omnium
champion jerseys. The exciting jersey design honors Eric's career at Tigard
School, and will be available soon to view at our Team Rose City website.
www.veloforma.com
http://www.hincapiesports.com/index.php
www.teamrosecity.org
For the event flyer, please see either
www.teamrosecity.org or www.obra.org
Thanks again for your support and interest in this worthwhile event.
Sincerely,
Darell Provencher
Team Rose City
Driver, 19, pleads guilty in bicyclist's death
Negligent homicide - Joel Flores is sentenced to 17 months for hitting a
retired Tigard teacher
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
HOLLY DANKS
The Oregonian
HILLSBORO -- A 19-year-old Washington man who fell asleep driving to work
after a night of partying and veered into a bicyclist pleaded guilty Tuesday
to criminally negligent homicide.
Thomas W. Kohl, Washington County presiding judge, sentenced Joel Brigido
Flores to 17 months in prison in the death of Eric Kautzky, a retired Tigard
High School teacher. Before a plea deal, Flores had been charged with
second-degree manslaughter, punishable by a mandatory minimum of six years
and three months in prison.
During an emotional hearing, Kautzky's family said a good man is dead, and
Flores' friends and family said a good kid is going to prison. Flores, who
nearly committed suicide over the incident, said no good can come of it
except his pledge to try to spare others such pain.
"I am not standing before you today to ask forgiveness because in my heart,
I can never forgive myself," Flores said, turning to look at Kautzky's wife,
son and sister.
Falling asleep "is not an excuse," Deborah Branderhorst, Kautzky's younger
sister, told Flores. "This could have been avoided if you chose not to
drive. You chose to stay out and party. . . . You took a killing machine and
ran over him."
"He is dead, and I feel dead inside," she said.
Flores apologized to the family and said that what occurred about 6:30 a.m.
June 18, 2005, made him look at how he can change his thinking and that of
others.
"I will speak to high school, middle school, driver's ed classes, anybody
who will listen about this tragedy and how I have to live with it the rest
of my life," he said.
Flores, 18 at the time, went out on a Friday night with friends and got
about three hours' sleep before heading out from Vancouver to a construction
job in Sherwood.
Witnesses said he was driving erratically, weaving on Southwest
Tualatin-Sherwood Road at about 40 mph. He drifted into the bicycle lane,
where his car struck Kautzky from behind, throwing the 56-year-old onto the
hood and windshield. Kautzky, whose dream was to ride part of the Tour de
France route, was wearing a helmet.
Sean Lemoine, Washington County deputy district attorney, said Flores' car
continued onto the sidewalk, back onto the roadway and through an
intersection before a driver stopped him.
Police found no drugs or alcohol in his system. But he told them he was "the
most tired he'd ever been in his life," Lemoine said.
About 800 people, including family, friends and former students, attended
Kautzky's funeral, his wife, Lorna, said Tuesday. He was a science teacher
and athletic trainer at Tigard High for 24 years.
"He was a mentor to hundreds and a role model to all," Lorna Kautzky said,
recalling his caring nature.
"We were supposed to grow old together."
Holly Danks: 503-221-4377; hollydanks@news.oregonian.com
C2006 The Oregonian