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New Milford woman, 85, drowns in Candlewood Lake
NEW MILFORD -- An 85-year-old New Milford woman lost her life Saturday when she drowned at Millstone Beach on Candlewood Lake.
Ursula Lerse, of Oak Road, was pronounced dead at New Milford Hospital early Saturday evening after being pulled from water some 20 feet from the shore, police said.According to police, witnesses indicated Lerse had been missing for some 10 to 15 minutes when they made a 911 emergency call at 4:12 p.m. New Milford police and fire department personnel were dispatched to the scene, along with an ambulance.
When police arrived, firefighters and paramedics were in the water attempting to locate Lerse, police said. She was found in approximately 6 to 8 feet of water.
Lerse was taken to New Milford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Kent Issue Revving Up
KENT—For once the streets of Kent were relatively quiet last weekend. A few motorcycles cruised through at mid-afternoon Sunday, but their riders were considerate, keeping off the throttle and the noise level down.
Noise Factor
Large groups of bikes were parked along the streets of the town, however, their owners among the throngs wandering through the attractive center, shopping or stopping for a bite to eat and a cold drink on a hot afternoon.
Such harmony has not often been the case in Kent center during summer and fall months when swarms of motorcyclists pass through the town on one of the most scenic rides in Connecticut. The noise level has left visitors dining al fresco in the town’s several eateries with no recourse but to shout at their dining companions or to slip into silent reveries. Sermons at St. Andrew’s Church have been drowned out by the cacophony, while popular outdoor concerts have faced daunting challenges.
Occasionally, the level of discontent among the populace has risen to verbal confrontation, as was evidenced by a letter to the editor sent to this paper recently, in which cyclist Matthew Molella of Millbrook, N.Y., complained about being accosted by a “not so nice elderly lady in front of the coffee shop.” Mr. Molella apologized for “disturbing your day by making the mistake of riding a motorcycle in your town. I do want to thank you for your general Harassment from the time that my friend and I tried to sit down and enjoy a ‘quiet’ cup of coffee in Kent. … It was obvious you were present to be spectators to the planned increased police presence and [to] provide a scolding to the horrible “Noisy Bikers.” I want to thank you for the lecture and general unfriendly spirit you provided on behalf of Kent.”
Mr. Molella promised that he would not come back to a town where, he said, he had spent hundreds of dollars in recent months in stores and restaurants. He pointed out that he belonged to the strongest demographic in motorcycle ownership: a family man and college graduate. Indeed, he fit nicely into the profile developed in a motorcycle ownership survey released in 2009 by the Motorcycle Industry Council. It showed that the average biker earns about $10,000 a year more than the median wage in the U.S. and that motorcycle ownership is on the rise, with 26 percent more people owning bikes in 2008 than in 2003. About 25 million Americans rode a bike in 2008, one quarter of them being women. And women are no longer just passive riders: female ownership of motorcycles has crossed the 10 percent mark, increasing from 9.6 percent in 2003 to 12.3 percent in 2008.
It is a demographic Kent merchants are well aware of and loathe to offend, even as they wish for a little more quiet. “The Chamber of Commerce works hard to make Kent a destination and to bring people into town to support the businesses,” said Carol Jalbert, owner of Country Clothes on Main Street. “The motorcyclists enjoy Kent just like everyone else. For them it is a nice ride along Route 7 and a perfect place to stop for coffee or lunch. You can’t discriminate and encourage one group and discourage others.”
She is joined in that sentiment by Anne McAndrew, co-owner of Backcountry Outfitters on Bridge Street. Ms. McAndrew’s business is one of those nourished by the visiting bikers. “We have no problem with motorcyclists or anyone else who wants to come to Kent,” she said. “Businesses have different customer profiles—what is good for one may not be good for another. I go with flow and am happy people are coming to Kent—especially in this economy. People have to understand what makes a little downtown healthy. It’s people. Hikers, motorcyclists, the locals, the weekenders, that is what makes Kent so charming. Noise means business, no parking means business, overflowing garbage cans mean business and I am just happy to have all of it.”
Mrs. Jalbert, on the other hand, takes a middle ground on the noise factor. “My only objection is the noise,” she said. “Poor Roger White [pastor of St. Andrew’s] is trying to give a sermon and they sit at the light—and it’s a macho thing—they rev their motors. Then all five or six of them roar off making as much noise as they can. They don’t even think there is a church service going on.
“I’ve always said, ‘Why not have some nice signs saying please observe this quiet zone on Sundays,’” she continued. “[Motorcyclists] are nice guys and they are good for business, so I don’t want to see more negativism, but noise is a factor on Sunday morning. The rest of the time, we can just bear with it.”
Motorcyclists approached on the street last week agreed with Mrs. Jalbert that the issue is with testosterone and machismo. Those questioned all professed to dislike the noise themselves and one, Nick Ferraro of Shelton, said he wears earplugs when riding with companions who have altered their bikes to make more noise.
“We’re well aware of the problem,” said Mike Testa of Shelton, who said his group was on its way home after a tour of nearby New York State. “We often stop in Kent on our way home. It’s a beautiful place to ride.”
“I don’t blame people,” said Kim Carpenter, also of Shelton. “What these guys are doing is [converting] their bikes to after-market pipes [exhaust systems] and then just goosing the throttles.” Mr. Ferraro said it is possible for bikers to change to noisier “pipes,” but to pass through towns quietly by “laying off the throttle.”
Mr. Testa said the vast majority of bikes are altered after purchase—estimates vary from 60 to 90 percent—to give them a “sexier” roar as they pass down the road. It is the altering of bikes that creates the noise level objectionable to so many.
It is a level of noise stirring debate across North America and that a growing number of cities and states are taking action against. To date, in the U.S., New York City, Anaheim, Calif., Denver, Colo., Green Bay, Wis., Myrtle Beach, Fla., and Boston, Mass., have placed legal limits on the noise bikes can make in their towns, and the states of Maine and California are discussing legislation.
First Selectman Bruce Adams has had chats with cyclists stopping in Kent. He said that most have been receptive to the discussions and suggested “well-worded signs” be placed at the four entrances to town welcoming the cyclists, but urging restraint. “Over the months I have walked up to motorcyclists to talk to them about the noise issue,” he said. “I always say they are welcome, but ask how to keep the noise down. Some give me some grief, but most are pleasant. They do bring some business to town and I don’t think anyone begrudges them—these are no motorcycle gangs. The issue is noise.”
In an initial effort to curb the noise, Mr. Adams asked for an increased police presence. On one weekend, two troopers were in town, stopping noisy cyclists. He said the police were not equipped with decibel readers and only issued warnings. “One officer said he can’t kick at them for noise because he doesn’t have a decibel reader,” Mr. Adams said. “But he can tell a motorcycle that has been altered and he pulls them over..”
He said some motorcyclists claim the excessive noise is necessary to grab the attention of motorists who might not be alert to their presence, but motor vehicle reports suggest that this is faulty reasoning. Critics of this reasoning note that motorcycles are also equipped with horns, just like passenger vehicles.
There are already state and national regulations in place, established by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. The EPA, after considerable consideration, compromised with the motorcycle industry at a noise level for motorcycles produced after 1986 of 80 decibels for bikes that are stationary or traveling at 35 miles per hour or less on pavement. Bikes on the highways are allowed noise levels of up to 84 dB.
A decibel is the measurement unit for sound, made on a logarithmic scale, which means that an increase of three decibels approximates a perceived doubling of the noise level. A noise source measuring 70 dB is therefore 10 times louder than a source measuring 60 dB and 100 times louder than a source reading 50 dB. The average background noise in a typical home is between 40 and 50 dB.
The Connecticut DMV has set its standard at 84 dB for bikes traveling more than 35 miles per hour on a paved street or highway. This is noisier than the maximum levels allow for cars, but quieter than the permissible levels for buses and other vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds. State law also requires all motor vehicles to be “operated, equipped, constructed and adjusted to prevent unnecessary or unusual noise.”
The law prohibits anyone from installing or using, a muffler that lacks interior baffle plates or other effective muffling devices, a gutted muffler, a muffler cutout, or a straight exhaust, except in permitted racing events or exhibitions.
While state and local law enforcement officers can enforce these noise regulations, enforcement is difficult because of the demands on personnel and the need for testing equipment. The noise level is measured 50 feet from the centerline of the vehicle, or, if the test measures the noise from closer than 50 feet, the measuring device must be calibrated to create a sound equivalent to that measured at a distance of 50 feet. New York City has created a more subjective standard of noise that is audible at a distance of 200 feet.
In Connecticut, the fine for violating the law on maximum noise levels for motor vehicles or the use of defective or improper mufflers is $150, but for die-hard, noise-loving bikers, who can spend up to $2,000 on an exhaust system that makes their bike roar, this is often nothing more than an annoyance.
While bikers may like the noise created by their machines, Noise Off, a coalition of citizens, elected representatives, law enforcement professionals, educators, researchers, students and activists from the United States and abroad, argues that the noise created by motorcycles and other loud vehicles can cause real physical problems for those subjected to it. Physical problems include the secretion of adrenaline, with ensuing spikes in cardio-respiratory rates, muscle tension, and elevated blood pressure, hearing loss and vibroacoustic disease, a cumulative and chronic disease caused by exposure to infrasound that affects the nervous system.
Even motorcycle organizations are recognizing the implications of not controlling excessive noise from bikes. In 2005, the American Motorcycle Association held a Summit on Motorcycle Sound and issued a position paper that called for voluntary moderation of noise, predicting that failing to adopt responsible policies will result in greater prejudice and discrimination against motorcycling. It has funded information and public relations campaigns in support of quiet motorcycle use. As proof of its belief motorcyclists must respect others’ rights, it notes that in the past several years it has spent more than $100,000 defending lawsuits and confronting legislative prohibitions initiated by legislators.
Rick Gray, an AMA trustee, wrote, “With many rights come responsibilities. … [T]he right to ride a motorcycle does not permit us to infringe on the peaceful enjoyment of life by others.
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