Bill sought parade-float railings
By Associated Press
CONCORD -- A bill rejected by the state Legislature four years ago would have required a safety railing on parade floats -- a measure that might have prevented the death of a 9-year-old boy in Portsmouth's holiday parade.
Some witnesses said Thomas Fogarty of Greenland was sitting with his legs dangling over the side of his Cub Scout troop's float when it hit a bump and he fell into the path of the wheels. Others said he was walking beside the float when he fell. He was run over and later died of his injuries at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
The 2002 bill would have required floats to be equipped with a railing at least 3 feet high and solid enough to prevent a small child from squeezing through. It was rejected by the state Senate.
The bill's sponsor, former Senate President Beverly Hollingworth, D-Hampton, said it was impossible to know whether such a law would have prevented Saturday night's accident.
"I can't say this would have never happened. I can't even go there," said Hollingworth, who was recently elected to the Executive Council.
"I just want to say I am heartsick for the family, the people driving the float, the chaperones and everyone involved," she told Foster's Daily Democrat. "It must be one of the most traumatic experiences for them. Everybody can second-guess, but that's not what we should be doing right now."
Hollingworth said many people felt at the time the bill was not needed.
"The reason legislation failed, I believe, is because everyone felt they were doing everything necessary. My feeling for sponsoring the bill was that without a lot of expense we could make sure the kids were contained within the floats," she said.
Hollingworth said she sponsored the bill after years of watching her children and grandchildren take part in parades.
"I always preferred to have my kids marching or walking," she said. "In a parade, there is just so much going on, adults can't watch every single one of the kids."
The state's mandatory vehicle restraint law for children doesn't apply to school buses, antique cars or parade floats traveling less than 10 mph.
The Portsmouth death came a day after a 3-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from a parade float in Freeport, Maine.
This page has been printed from the following URL:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/12052006/nhnews-ph-nh-parade.safety.law.html
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Biden digs his own grave with intolerant words
Can You really Believe This??
Biden digs his own grave with intolerant words
Joe Biden has a big mouth.
He doesn't think before he talks and he never stops talking.
To those of us who have had to endure the Delaware senator's presidential delusions over the years, it was no surprise at all to see in the news that Biden's mouth had gotten him into trouble, although even his harshest critics might have been surprised at how quickly he got himself into hot water.
Biden, talking about Democratic phenomenon U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, described him as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
The implication that previous candidates Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were not "clean" has had Biden backpeddling ever since.
It doesn't help that just last summer he made a crack about Indians working in 7-Eleven and Dunkin Donuts. This latest misstep also served to inform those who might not have known about the plagiarism charges that led Biden to drop out of the presidential race in 1987.
The fact is, after you get to know Biden, you realize you wouldn't trust him with the combination to your bicycle lock.
As the old expression goes, loose lips sink ships, and sometimes, mercifully, they also sink presidential candidates.
Parade safety up to towns, not state
The tragic death of a Greenland boy in a float accident at the Portsmouth Holiday Parade in December has given us all a reason to pause.
The death of 9-year-old Thomas Fogarty is understandably an emotional issue. While we agree old regulations should be closely reviewed and perhaps new ones considered to better ensure the safety of those participating in local parades, we believe it's not the state's job to determine the breadth and depth of those rules.
Rep. Paul McEachern, D-Portsmouth, is prime sponsor of a House bill, and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, is sponsor of a Senate bill, both which aim to enhance parade float safety. They call for a parade permit for any float that carries minors, and they seek safety regulations such as having a three-foot railing to keep kids from falling off or requiring adults to tether or seat belt kids onto the platform.
These are among many sensible measures legislators are reviewing, but enacted at the state level, they raise a host of enforcement and jurisdictional issues that would be lessened if individual towns and cities set their own parade safety regulations.
For example, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand said he hopes to discuss different possibilities with other city officials as well as groups that have traditionally had floats in Portsmouth parades to develop any specific recommendations.
We believe the state can be helpful in providing guidelines to cities and towns or fostering the sharing of best practices between municipalities. But parade safety is strictly a local issue and not one requiring state legislation.
-- Portsmouth Herald
Biden digs his own grave with intolerant words
Joe Biden has a big mouth.
He doesn't think before he talks and he never stops talking.
To those of us who have had to endure the Delaware senator's presidential delusions over the years, it was no surprise at all to see in the news that Biden's mouth had gotten him into trouble, although even his harshest critics might have been surprised at how quickly he got himself into hot water.
Biden, talking about Democratic phenomenon U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, described him as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
The implication that previous candidates Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were not "clean" has had Biden backpeddling ever since.
It doesn't help that just last summer he made a crack about Indians working in 7-Eleven and Dunkin Donuts. This latest misstep also served to inform those who might not have known about the plagiarism charges that led Biden to drop out of the presidential race in 1987.
The fact is, after you get to know Biden, you realize you wouldn't trust him with the combination to your bicycle lock.
As the old expression goes, loose lips sink ships, and sometimes, mercifully, they also sink presidential candidates.
Parade safety up to towns, not state
The tragic death of a Greenland boy in a float accident at the Portsmouth Holiday Parade in December has given us all a reason to pause.
The death of 9-year-old Thomas Fogarty is understandably an emotional issue. While we agree old regulations should be closely reviewed and perhaps new ones considered to better ensure the safety of those participating in local parades, we believe it's not the state's job to determine the breadth and depth of those rules.
Rep. Paul McEachern, D-Portsmouth, is prime sponsor of a House bill, and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, is sponsor of a Senate bill, both which aim to enhance parade float safety. They call for a parade permit for any float that carries minors, and they seek safety regulations such as having a three-foot railing to keep kids from falling off or requiring adults to tether or seat belt kids onto the platform.
These are among many sensible measures legislators are reviewing, but enacted at the state level, they raise a host of enforcement and jurisdictional issues that would be lessened if individual towns and cities set their own parade safety regulations.
For example, Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand said he hopes to discuss different possibilities with other city officials as well as groups that have traditionally had floats in Portsmouth parades to develop any specific recommendations.
We believe the state can be helpful in providing guidelines to cities and towns or fostering the sharing of best practices between municipalities. But parade safety is strictly a local issue and not one requiring state legislation.
-- Portsmouth Herald
Plant City Commission releases recommendations following parade death
Do We really think these recomendatons are going to be enough?
Plant City Commission releases recommendations following parade death
PLANT CITY -- The Plant City Commission has released a review of a 2007 Plant City Christmas Parade accident.
9-year-old Jordan Hays died during the parade on December 7. He was walking alongside a float driven by his cousin when his leg was pulled under by the trailer wheel and he was run over. Four people tried to save Jordan at the scene.
Among the findings in the report, the Commission found Hays' death to be accidental, but preventable. The Commission also found that the float design could have contributed to the accident.
The recommendations include prohibiting the tossing of candy and beads, using more parade marshals, and to begin safety inspections for floats. Another suggestion is to make the parade a day-time event.
Plant City Commission releases recommendations following parade death
PLANT CITY -- The Plant City Commission has released a review of a 2007 Plant City Christmas Parade accident.
9-year-old Jordan Hays died during the parade on December 7. He was walking alongside a float driven by his cousin when his leg was pulled under by the trailer wheel and he was run over. Four people tried to save Jordan at the scene.
Among the findings in the report, the Commission found Hays' death to be accidental, but preventable. The Commission also found that the float design could have contributed to the accident.
The recommendations include prohibiting the tossing of candy and beads, using more parade marshals, and to begin safety inspections for floats. Another suggestion is to make the parade a day-time event.
Dade City To Review Parade Safety
Dade City To Review Parade Safety
By JO-ANN JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 12, 2007
DADE CITY - The hometown holiday parade went off without a hitch, but a boy's death during Plant City's Christmas Parade last week provoked a safety discussion among Dade City commissioners Tuesday evening.
Commissioner Scott Black said the accident Friday evening that killed 9-year-old Jordan Hays prompted him to request a review of safety measures for parades in Dade City. Jordan was walking alongside a float and throwing candy to spectators. He got caught under a wheel of the float when he reached for more candy to toss.
Plant City officials are reviewing the incident.
Black suggested groups in Dade City that plan parades come together for their own safety review, along with the city's police department.
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce hosts the nighttime holiday parade, held this year on Nov. 30. Thousands of people turn out along Seventh Street to see the 100-plus entries, which include floats, marching bands and equestrian units.
The Pasco County Fair Association holds a daytime parade each February in downtown Dade City to kick off the weeklong fair.
Other business and civic groups are also involved in those community events.
In another matter Tuesday, commissioners scheduled a workshop for 4 p.m. Jan. 8, before their next regular meeting, to discuss the proposed Citrus Ridge housing development outside city limits. A developer is asking Pasco County for permission to build the subdivision on the city's western boundary, with access from St. Joe Road.
Commissioners and residents say the developer wants to put too many homes there and they worry about the strain on local roads. The developer made some concessions on density in a recent hearing before the county's Development Review Committee, but not enough to satisfy neighbors.
The county commission has the final say on whether the community may be built.
Reporter Jo-Ann Johnston can be reached at (352) 521-3062 or jfjohnston@tampatrib.com.
By JO-ANN JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 12, 2007
DADE CITY - The hometown holiday parade went off without a hitch, but a boy's death during Plant City's Christmas Parade last week provoked a safety discussion among Dade City commissioners Tuesday evening.
Commissioner Scott Black said the accident Friday evening that killed 9-year-old Jordan Hays prompted him to request a review of safety measures for parades in Dade City. Jordan was walking alongside a float and throwing candy to spectators. He got caught under a wheel of the float when he reached for more candy to toss.
Plant City officials are reviewing the incident.
Black suggested groups in Dade City that plan parades come together for their own safety review, along with the city's police department.
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce hosts the nighttime holiday parade, held this year on Nov. 30. Thousands of people turn out along Seventh Street to see the 100-plus entries, which include floats, marching bands and equestrian units.
The Pasco County Fair Association holds a daytime parade each February in downtown Dade City to kick off the weeklong fair.
Other business and civic groups are also involved in those community events.
In another matter Tuesday, commissioners scheduled a workshop for 4 p.m. Jan. 8, before their next regular meeting, to discuss the proposed Citrus Ridge housing development outside city limits. A developer is asking Pasco County for permission to build the subdivision on the city's western boundary, with access from St. Joe Road.
Commissioners and residents say the developer wants to put too many homes there and they worry about the strain on local roads. The developer made some concessions on density in a recent hearing before the county's Development Review Committee, but not enough to satisfy neighbors.
The county commission has the final say on whether the community may be built.
Reporter Jo-Ann Johnston can be reached at (352) 521-3062 or jfjohnston@tampatrib.com.
Would Float Railing Have Prevented N.H. Parade Tragedy?
East News
Would Float Railing Have Prevented N.H. Parade Tragedy?
December 6, 2006
A bill rejected by the state Legislature four years ago would have required a safety railing on parade floats � a measure that might have prevented the death of a 9-year-old boy in Portsmouth's holiday parade.
Some witnesses said Thomas Fogarty of Greenland was sitting with his legs dangling over the side of his Cub Scout troop's float when it hit a bump and he fell in the path of the wheels. Others said he was walking beside the float when he fell. He was run over and later died of his injuries at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
The 2002 bill would have required floats to be equipped with a railing at least 3 feet high and solid enough to prevent a small child from squeezing through. It was rejected by the state Senate.
The bill's sponsor, former Senate President Beverly Hollingworth, D-Hampton, said it was impossible to know whether such a law would have prevented Saturday night's accident.
"I can't say this would have never happened. I can't even go there,'' said Hollingworth, who was recently elected to the Executive Council.
"I just want to say I am heartsick for the family, the people driving the float, the chaperones and everyone involved,'' she told Foster's Daily Democrat. "It must be one of the most traumatic experiences for them. Everybody can second-guess, but that's not what we should be doing right now.''
Hollingworth said many people felt at the time the bill was not needed.
"The reason legislation failed, I believe, is because everyone felt they were doing everything necessary. My feeling for sponsoring the bill was that without a lot of expense we could make sure the kids were contained within the floats,'' she said.
Hollingworth said she sponsored the bill after years of watching her children and grandchildren take part in parades.
"I always preferred to have my kids marching or walking,'' she said. "In a parade, there is just so much going on, adults can't watch every single one of the kids.''
The state's mandatory vehicle restraint law for children doesn't apply to school buses, antique cars or parade floats traveling less than 10 mph.
The Portsmouth death came a day after a 3-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from a parade float in Freeport, Maine.
___
Information from: Foster's Daily Democrat,
http://www.fosters.com
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2006/12/06/74756.htm
© 2007 Wells Publishing, Inc. Reprint Information | Home Search | Contact Us
Would Float Railing Have Prevented N.H. Parade Tragedy?
December 6, 2006
A bill rejected by the state Legislature four years ago would have required a safety railing on parade floats � a measure that might have prevented the death of a 9-year-old boy in Portsmouth's holiday parade.
Some witnesses said Thomas Fogarty of Greenland was sitting with his legs dangling over the side of his Cub Scout troop's float when it hit a bump and he fell in the path of the wheels. Others said he was walking beside the float when he fell. He was run over and later died of his injuries at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
The 2002 bill would have required floats to be equipped with a railing at least 3 feet high and solid enough to prevent a small child from squeezing through. It was rejected by the state Senate.
The bill's sponsor, former Senate President Beverly Hollingworth, D-Hampton, said it was impossible to know whether such a law would have prevented Saturday night's accident.
"I can't say this would have never happened. I can't even go there,'' said Hollingworth, who was recently elected to the Executive Council.
"I just want to say I am heartsick for the family, the people driving the float, the chaperones and everyone involved,'' she told Foster's Daily Democrat. "It must be one of the most traumatic experiences for them. Everybody can second-guess, but that's not what we should be doing right now.''
Hollingworth said many people felt at the time the bill was not needed.
"The reason legislation failed, I believe, is because everyone felt they were doing everything necessary. My feeling for sponsoring the bill was that without a lot of expense we could make sure the kids were contained within the floats,'' she said.
Hollingworth said she sponsored the bill after years of watching her children and grandchildren take part in parades.
"I always preferred to have my kids marching or walking,'' she said. "In a parade, there is just so much going on, adults can't watch every single one of the kids.''
The state's mandatory vehicle restraint law for children doesn't apply to school buses, antique cars or parade floats traveling less than 10 mph.
The Portsmouth death came a day after a 3-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from a parade float in Freeport, Maine.
___
Information from: Foster's Daily Democrat,
http://www.fosters.com
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2006/12/06/74756.htm
© 2007 Wells Publishing, Inc. Reprint Information | Home Search | Contact Us
Bill would change laws for parades
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/hampton/01302007/nhnews-hu-h-reg-
legislative0130.html
Bill would change laws for parades
By Chris Dornin
Golden Dome News
CONCORD -- A Portsmouth lawmaker has filed a bill to ban flatbed
trailers with outrigger wheels from parades after the recent death of
a Greenland Cub Scout. Nine-year-old Thomas Fogarty was riding on a
Portsmouth Holiday Parade float with his Scout pack around 6:15 p.m.
Dec. 2 on Islington Street when he somehow fell in front of a double-
axle wheel. Authorities don't know what caused the tragedy, but they
have ruled it an accident.
Representative Paul McEachern, D-Portsmouth, is prime sponsor of HB
296, a one-line bill that says, "No person may use any type of
flatbed trailer with outrigger wheels in a parade." McEachern said
the wheels on Fogarty's float stuck out from the side of the trailer.
"The police said the boy was sitting forward of the outrigger wheels
and either fell in front of them or got his leg caught in the wheel
and was pulled under," the Portsmouth rep said. "Many trailers have
the wheels underneath. Those wouldn't be outlawed."
Senator Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, has filed a companion bill that
might merge with McEachern's. She hasn't seen the final draft, but
her legislation would require a parade permit for any float that
carries minors. The float would either have a 3-foot railing to keep
kids from falling off, or the adults would tether or seat belt the
kids onto the platform. If these options were impractical, the
sponsors of the float could set up radio communication between the
adult on the flatbed and the driver so the truck could stop at the
first sign of danger.
"They've got to be able to hit the brakes right now," Hassan said.
"The intent isn't to dictate what to do in every case, but to get
them thinking about the situation they're placing kids in. Hopefully,
the adult would see a dangerous problem in time to intervene."
Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, is a co-sponsor on both bills, and
other Seacoast lawmakers may be signing on.
McEachern said a second serious accident in the same holiday parade
could have become a fatality. A man walking beside a flatbed float
was using a rope to tow the bell of a restored antique fire pump. The
heavy trailer wheels ran over his toes.
"He's had all kinds of complications," MacEachern said "He was either
walking too slow, or the parade started back up when he wasn't
expecting. People have to realize how dangerous these trailers are,
despite their slow speed. They're just not designed for parades,
which are stop and go by definition."
Walter Lebor, the owner of Great Northern Excavating in Exeter, said
he's never seen the trailer addressed in McEachern's bill. He assumed
it applies to specialty trailers for hauling extra-heavy equipment.
"The standard low-bed around town doesn't have them," Lebor said.
"Some have metal brackets to give it an extra foot of width, but the
wheels are way inside the outrigger. I can't think of any trailer it
would apply to."
McEachern said he has in mind wheels that jut outside the outline of
the trailer as viewed from above.
Portsmouth Police Lt. Rodney McQuate headed the accident
investigation and confirmed that no charges would be filed.
The boy's parents could not be reached by phone, but they have set up
a memorial fund for their late son to support school enrichment
programs. Donors may send gifts to the Thomas Edward Fogarty Memorial
Fund, c/o Greenland Central School, 70 Post Road, Greenland, NH 03840.
Brian and Deborah Fogarty issued a statement a few days after their
loss, thanking the community for its overwhelming support and
praising the rescue workers.
"We ask that you please keep everyone involved in this tragic
accident in your thoughts and prayers," the parents said, describing
Thomas as a beautiful, bright, energetic, and life-loving boy.
"Although this is a tragic and sad time in our lives, we believe that
something positive will come out of this," they added. "Last, we ask
that you give your children an extra hug tonight and value the time
that you have together.
legislative0130.html
Bill would change laws for parades
By Chris Dornin
Golden Dome News
CONCORD -- A Portsmouth lawmaker has filed a bill to ban flatbed
trailers with outrigger wheels from parades after the recent death of
a Greenland Cub Scout. Nine-year-old Thomas Fogarty was riding on a
Portsmouth Holiday Parade float with his Scout pack around 6:15 p.m.
Dec. 2 on Islington Street when he somehow fell in front of a double-
axle wheel. Authorities don't know what caused the tragedy, but they
have ruled it an accident.
Representative Paul McEachern, D-Portsmouth, is prime sponsor of HB
296, a one-line bill that says, "No person may use any type of
flatbed trailer with outrigger wheels in a parade." McEachern said
the wheels on Fogarty's float stuck out from the side of the trailer.
"The police said the boy was sitting forward of the outrigger wheels
and either fell in front of them or got his leg caught in the wheel
and was pulled under," the Portsmouth rep said. "Many trailers have
the wheels underneath. Those wouldn't be outlawed."
Senator Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, has filed a companion bill that
might merge with McEachern's. She hasn't seen the final draft, but
her legislation would require a parade permit for any float that
carries minors. The float would either have a 3-foot railing to keep
kids from falling off, or the adults would tether or seat belt the
kids onto the platform. If these options were impractical, the
sponsors of the float could set up radio communication between the
adult on the flatbed and the driver so the truck could stop at the
first sign of danger.
"They've got to be able to hit the brakes right now," Hassan said.
"The intent isn't to dictate what to do in every case, but to get
them thinking about the situation they're placing kids in. Hopefully,
the adult would see a dangerous problem in time to intervene."
Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, is a co-sponsor on both bills, and
other Seacoast lawmakers may be signing on.
McEachern said a second serious accident in the same holiday parade
could have become a fatality. A man walking beside a flatbed float
was using a rope to tow the bell of a restored antique fire pump. The
heavy trailer wheels ran over his toes.
"He's had all kinds of complications," MacEachern said "He was either
walking too slow, or the parade started back up when he wasn't
expecting. People have to realize how dangerous these trailers are,
despite their slow speed. They're just not designed for parades,
which are stop and go by definition."
Walter Lebor, the owner of Great Northern Excavating in Exeter, said
he's never seen the trailer addressed in McEachern's bill. He assumed
it applies to specialty trailers for hauling extra-heavy equipment.
"The standard low-bed around town doesn't have them," Lebor said.
"Some have metal brackets to give it an extra foot of width, but the
wheels are way inside the outrigger. I can't think of any trailer it
would apply to."
McEachern said he has in mind wheels that jut outside the outline of
the trailer as viewed from above.
Portsmouth Police Lt. Rodney McQuate headed the accident
investigation and confirmed that no charges would be filed.
The boy's parents could not be reached by phone, but they have set up
a memorial fund for their late son to support school enrichment
programs. Donors may send gifts to the Thomas Edward Fogarty Memorial
Fund, c/o Greenland Central School, 70 Post Road, Greenland, NH 03840.
Brian and Deborah Fogarty issued a statement a few days after their
loss, thanking the community for its overwhelming support and
praising the rescue workers.
"We ask that you please keep everyone involved in this tragic
accident in your thoughts and prayers," the parents said, describing
Thomas as a beautiful, bright, energetic, and life-loving boy.
"Although this is a tragic and sad time in our lives, we believe that
something positive will come out of this," they added. "Last, we ask
that you give your children an extra hug tonight and value the time
that you have together.
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