Cardboard classic

March 16, 2005

A Northern Michigan tradition goes on the slide this Saturday, March 19, when Shanty Creek hosts its 18th annual Cardboard Classic in conjunction with 106 KHQ Radio.
Utilizing only cardboard, glue, tape and paint for their sleds, contestants will race the slopes at Schuss Mountain.
The weekend will also feature nine hours of nonstop music at Ivan‘s Restaurant at Schuss Village both Friday and Saturday.
Prizes for the Cardboard Classic will be awarded in Adult and Junior divisions for single sleds or team entries. Judging for the design awards will begin at 11:30 a.m. when racers line up at the foot of the course. The race begins at noon on the lower portion of The Face. Registration for the event is free and takes place from 9am -11am in Ivan‘s Restaurant at Schuss Village. Racers must wear helmets.

BRIEFS:

Death to all Spyware: Legislation making it a crime to install software that tracks Internet users’ activity without their consent was overwhelmingly passed by the State Senate last week.
If signed into law, Senate Bills 53, 54 and 151, sponsored by State Sen. Cameron Brown, would protect consumers from unwelcome spyware installation, which can monitor online activity without the user’s knowledge or consent.
“Personal privacy rights have been violated on the Internet, and this anti-spyware legislation will help put a stop to that,” Brown said. “People should be able to log onto the Internet and not have their privacy violated.” Brown’s legislation applies to both home and business computers.
Spyware can diminish the performance and stability of computer systems, and may even cause computers to crash. So far two states, California and Utah, have passed laws restricting spyware installation. Seventeen other states have legislation pending.
A survey conducted by Internet service provider America Online found that 80 percent of home computers are infected with some form of spyware.
If signed into law, SB 54 would not only prohibit individuals from installing or attempting to install spyware into another person’s computer, computer system or network, it would also prohibit individuals from manufacturing, selling or possessing spyware with the intent to violate the act.
Violators could face fines up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to five years.
Federal lawmakers are currently advancing similar legislation in the United States Congress.

The Envelope, Please: Wondering which local rockers won a spot on the “Northern Michigan Rocks Volume 5” compilation CD produced by Double Rock KLT? You’ll be hearing from SMYT (Interlochen), Dose (Mancelona), Two Faced Heroes (Charlevoix), The Push (Petoskey), Miram Pico (Interlochen), Corduroy Bones (Presque Isle), Bad Side (Sault Ste. Marie), Still At Large (Williamsburg), Jeff Bihlman (Frankfort), and Indulge, Mike Moran, Blufrog, Blisstripp, Amanda Waggener, Illusion and Jimbo Fuller (TC). Watch for announcements on the CD’s release, along with plans for the showcase concert.

Al Fresco: Michigan diners and downtown restaurateurs alike could be enjoying the outdoors a bit more this summer, if new legislation in Lansing manages to do away with restrictions to sidewalk dining.
Recently, the State Senate unanimously passed legislation which would allow outdoor dining along a “state trunkline right-of-way.“
Translation: Senate Bill 234 will allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to issue permits to business owners to set up outdoor dining areas as long as they did not impede safety or traffic and comply with the other conditions of the permit.
The bill goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Approval doesn‘t mean a slam-dunk for outdoor dining, however: Additional hurdles for restaurateurs come in the form of restrictive ordinances in various communities.

Lifesaver show: An April 8 concert is in the works to benefit Project Lifesaver, a new program which will provide tracking devices to find persons who, due to Alzheimer’s or related disorders such as Down‘s Syndrome or autism, may easily lose their way or wander.
The tracking system requires clients to wear a specially designed wristband at all times. This bracelet allows Sheriff’s Department personnel, using advanced locating technology, to find the wandering person and bring them back to safety.
The benefit will be held at the St. Francis High School Auditorium in TC, starting at 7 p.m. Performers will include: Encore Winds Symphony under the direction of Martin VanMannan, The Northwest Michigan Ballet, and vocalist Scott Carter. Refreshments and an auction of handcrafted goods will follow the performances. Tickets are $20, and can be purchased at Horizon, Borders, or Rainbow Bookstores, Kurtz Music, or State of the Art Framing. All proceeds will go toward purchasing equipment and maintaining services.