M
Missoulabiker
Guest
Girls bicycle, break the law
By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle
NEWTON FALLS - A Sunday afternoon bicycle ride through Newton Falls taught two Newton Township teens
lessons in humility and the law.
As Alexis Seifert and Shaney Warner, both 14, briskly road their bikes through downtown Newton
Falls, they said they failed to notice a city police car following them. The girls said they were
riding, giggling and minding their own business when the cruiser pulled beside them.
''We didn't notice him until he yelled out of his window for us to pull into the Rite Aid parking
lot,'' Alexis said. ''He told us we couldn't ride our bikes on the city's parking lot and then said
we should go to police station. He was not very nice.''
Once at the police station, police told the girls to call home because their bicycles were going to
be confiscated. The girls' parents weren't home and they had to walk home.
''We ride our bikes through Newton Falls on the sidewalk all of the time and never have been stopped
before,'' Alexis said. ''I've never seen a sign that says no bike riding on the sidewalks. We always
ride on the sidewalks. No one I know has been stopped.''
As the girls walked home, Shaney's parents happened to be driving through the downtown area.
''I would think in that area of town, the city would want kids to ride on the sidewalk,'' Michael
Warner said. ''There is a lot of traffic on Broad Street. It was Sunday. All of the businesses were
closed. No one was going to get hurt.
But police Chief Robert Carlson said the law has been on the books since 1963.
He said he recently told officers to pay attention to violators after receiving complaints from
business owners and patrons.
In the two weeks since Carlson ordered his officers to enforce the sidewalk law in the two-block
business district, his officers have confiscated between eight and 10 bicycles.
''They all have been from township residents,'' he said.
What has Michael Warner upset is that fact that police had the girls walk home.
''What if they were 7 or 8 years old.We live a mile from the police station. If the police were
going to take their bikes, they should have taken them home. Would they have made them walk home
then,'' he said.
Gayle Johns, Alexis' mother, said she is frustrated that her daughter was pulled over and her bike
being taken away.
Johns, 4879 Fairport Road, Newton Township, said if the police had to take the bicycles the girls
should have been given a ticket and required to remain at the police station until their parents
could pick them and their bicycles up.
''I live about one-and-a-half miles away from the police station,'' she said.
Johns, who has lived in the Newton Township area all her life, said she did not realize the city had
an ordinance against riding bicycles in the downtown area.
''I never heard about them taking the kids' property away,'' she said.
Carlson said he doesn't know why people are confused about the law.
''We have at least four signs between Canal and Broad street and Center and Broad street, that
states kids cannot ride their bicycles on the sidewalk,'' Carlson said. ''This law has been on the
books since 1963.''
Carlson admits that he only recently told his officers to begin watching Broad Street and enforcing
what says is an often ignored law.
''In the last several weeks, I've had a number of patrons of various stores call the department
complaining they were hit or almost hit by kids riding bikes on the sidewalks,'' Carlson said. ''On
Broad Street the doors to the stores open right on the street, so when people leave the stores they
can get hit if kids are riding their bikes and don't notice them coming out.''
In addition to the sidewalk ordinance, Carlson also told the girls' parents city regulations require
any bicyclist to have a license for their bikes.
''It does not have to be a Newton Falls bicycle license,'' he said. ''They just have to have one.''
Johns said she is not encouraging her daughter to break the law.
''I'm upset they suddenly began enforcing this 37-year-old law without any public notification,''
Johns said.
Carlson said if someone is caught riding on the sidewalk in the downtown business district a second
time, they will be charged and have to go to court, unless they pay a fine.
By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle
NEWTON FALLS - A Sunday afternoon bicycle ride through Newton Falls taught two Newton Township teens
lessons in humility and the law.
As Alexis Seifert and Shaney Warner, both 14, briskly road their bikes through downtown Newton
Falls, they said they failed to notice a city police car following them. The girls said they were
riding, giggling and minding their own business when the cruiser pulled beside them.
''We didn't notice him until he yelled out of his window for us to pull into the Rite Aid parking
lot,'' Alexis said. ''He told us we couldn't ride our bikes on the city's parking lot and then said
we should go to police station. He was not very nice.''
Once at the police station, police told the girls to call home because their bicycles were going to
be confiscated. The girls' parents weren't home and they had to walk home.
''We ride our bikes through Newton Falls on the sidewalk all of the time and never have been stopped
before,'' Alexis said. ''I've never seen a sign that says no bike riding on the sidewalks. We always
ride on the sidewalks. No one I know has been stopped.''
As the girls walked home, Shaney's parents happened to be driving through the downtown area.
''I would think in that area of town, the city would want kids to ride on the sidewalk,'' Michael
Warner said. ''There is a lot of traffic on Broad Street. It was Sunday. All of the businesses were
closed. No one was going to get hurt.
But police Chief Robert Carlson said the law has been on the books since 1963.
He said he recently told officers to pay attention to violators after receiving complaints from
business owners and patrons.
In the two weeks since Carlson ordered his officers to enforce the sidewalk law in the two-block
business district, his officers have confiscated between eight and 10 bicycles.
''They all have been from township residents,'' he said.
What has Michael Warner upset is that fact that police had the girls walk home.
''What if they were 7 or 8 years old.We live a mile from the police station. If the police were
going to take their bikes, they should have taken them home. Would they have made them walk home
then,'' he said.
Gayle Johns, Alexis' mother, said she is frustrated that her daughter was pulled over and her bike
being taken away.
Johns, 4879 Fairport Road, Newton Township, said if the police had to take the bicycles the girls
should have been given a ticket and required to remain at the police station until their parents
could pick them and their bicycles up.
''I live about one-and-a-half miles away from the police station,'' she said.
Johns, who has lived in the Newton Township area all her life, said she did not realize the city had
an ordinance against riding bicycles in the downtown area.
''I never heard about them taking the kids' property away,'' she said.
Carlson said he doesn't know why people are confused about the law.
''We have at least four signs between Canal and Broad street and Center and Broad street, that
states kids cannot ride their bicycles on the sidewalk,'' Carlson said. ''This law has been on the
books since 1963.''
Carlson admits that he only recently told his officers to begin watching Broad Street and enforcing
what says is an often ignored law.
''In the last several weeks, I've had a number of patrons of various stores call the department
complaining they were hit or almost hit by kids riding bikes on the sidewalks,'' Carlson said. ''On
Broad Street the doors to the stores open right on the street, so when people leave the stores they
can get hit if kids are riding their bikes and don't notice them coming out.''
In addition to the sidewalk ordinance, Carlson also told the girls' parents city regulations require
any bicyclist to have a license for their bikes.
''It does not have to be a Newton Falls bicycle license,'' he said. ''They just have to have one.''
Johns said she is not encouraging her daughter to break the law.
''I'm upset they suddenly began enforcing this 37-year-old law without any public notification,''
Johns said.
Carlson said if someone is caught riding on the sidewalk in the downtown business district a second
time, they will be charged and have to go to court, unless they pay a fine.
