Sylvia Bingham (4/22/1987 - 9/15/2009)

2011-11-27T22:38:00.000-08:00

The criminal trial of the truck driver who killed Sylvia over 26 months ago in Cleveland has finally concluded. Herschel Roberts was convicted Monday 11/21 of “aggravated vehicular homicide” due to recklessness. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and had his driver’s license revoked for life. Various articles and TV news clips can be found by googling “herschel roberts cleveland.”

We were wonderfully supported by Sylvia’s friends and the Cleveland biking community throughout the trial. We were unhappy that evidence of the use of drugs by the driver (16 times the legal limit) was ‘suppressed’ (not admitted) by the judge in the bench trial (no jury, at the defendant’s request) but he nonetheless concluded that Roberts had to have seen Sylvia in his side mirrors had he looked before turning sharply right. His failure to exercise care was deemed recklessness.

Several legal issues which are important for the biking community in Ohio arose during the two-year legal proceedings which Steve will be addressing as part of his work on the Sylvia Bingham Fund (SBF) when he reduces his work time at Bay Area Legal Aid to 20% in January.

Expect to hear from us as we strive to raise more funds to underwrite the Fund’s donations to grass-roots organizations whose work corresponds to the SBF mission. If you would like to claim a 2011 tax deduction, we encourage donations at this time to the Peace Development Fund. See the 'contact and donation info' page for details on how to make donations. In January, the items regarding legal proceedings will be moved to an inside page as the website evolves into the SBF’s central communications medium.

Criminal Trial will start on Monday, November 14

2011-11-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

It was confirmed this week that the criminal trial of Herschel Roberts who killed Sylvia over two years ago will finally begin at 9 a.m. on November 14 at the Cuyahoga Count Justice Center at 1200 Ontario St. in downtown Cleveland in room 19D, Judge Gaul presiding. The criminal charges are Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and Failure to Stop After an Accident. The trial is expected to last up to one week. The trial is of course open to the public and anyone interested is encouraged to attend. -- Steve and Francoise

Criminal Trial Delayed Again

2011-04-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

We are not good bloggers! As many of you know by now, the criminal trial has once more been postponed from April 13, with no new trial date set. The criminal defense attorney was in the middle of a murder trial that itself had been postponed. There will be a hearing with witnesses on May 2 to consider the defendant's motion to suppress all evidence relating to the urine drug test of the defendant that revealed he had over 16 times the legal limit of marijuana metabolites in him. The argument to suppress? The test was conducted by a company that was not licensed by the State of Ohio, even though the tests were done pursuant to regulations of the US Department of Transportation. The new trial date won't even be set until the hearing occurs on May 2. The disfunctionality of the criminal justice system is unbelievable and very discouraging for Francoise and me. This is perhaps the sixth or seventh postponement of the trial. Sylvia was killed by the driver over 19 months ago. Francoise and I will of course be going to the hearing.

Meanwhile, a second round of grants from the Sylvia Bingham Fund is about to be made. The names of the organizations will be posted on the website shortly.

Please remember Sylvia on what would have been her 24th birthday on April 22, Earthday. We still love to receive remembrances of time spent with her. Her spirit burns brightly and we want it to do so always.

Criminal Trail set for Feb. 28

2011-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

The criminal trial of the driver who killed Sylvia is set for February 28. See the comment to the last post. The driver was allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. The civil trail against the driver and his employer, Leff Electric, will hopefully happen in late spring. Francoise and I will of course be in Cleveland for both trials and would love to hear from any of you. Steve

TRIAL UPDATE: Truck driver pleads guilty 9/13/2010

2010-09-17T23:51:00.000-07:00

The defendant in the criminal case plead guilty yesterday as set out in this brief news clip:http://www.19actionnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=13146612. He was sentenced to four years. We indicated that we would not object to him serving only 30 months in prison if he then performs a supervised community service obligation for another 18 months. We said it was our strong desire that the service he is ordered to perform relate to the bike/vehicle street safety issues we now so very much care about. We are of course relieved that the defendant took responsibility for his actions and hope that his sentence sends a loud message to drivers that conduct due to drugs or recklessness that causes the death of someone on a bicycle will have severe consequences.

We are surrounded by Sylvia's friends here in Cleveland. Today, September 15, on the one-year anniversary of her death, we will participate in a memorial bike bike traveling the route Sylvia was taking exactly a year ago on her way to work at Hard-Hatted Women. Friday we will participate in a city-wide festival to promote sustainable transportation in Cleveland (the second item at this link: http://www.gcbl.org/planning-development-projects/city-sustainability-program).

Thanks to all of you who sent notes to us. Steve and Francoise.

Bike Ride of Silence, Wed, May 19th at 7pm

2010-05-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the national Ride of Silence is 2 weeks from this Wednesday, May 19. http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php. Sylvia's name is on the memorial page listing hundreds of people killed on bikes. People from all over the country are organizing rides that will begin at 7 pm local time.

I hope all of you will find ways, large and small, to participate and/or encourage others to participate in a ride near you. If a ride is not organized near you, you can organize your own and have it posted on the Ride of Silence website for others to see and join. It doesn't have to be a big event. Five people riding together and reflecting on those who died biking, especially Sylvia, would mean much to Francoise and me.

We still have "I Ride for Sylvia" T-shirts we could mail out, $10 each to cover cost plus mailing. One shirt free to the organizer of a ride. This amount for the shirts should be in a check to me as we haven't integrated the sale of the shirts into the Foundation's finances. Any additional tax-deductible amount you'd like to contribute should follow donation directions on the website www.sylviabinghamfoundation.org. We plan soon to shift money to another foundation but the instructions on the site are still good.

For those of you not able to be with us on April 24, we had a wonderful gathering of family and friends to remember Sylvia whose 23d birthday was Earth Day, 4/22. We planted a fig tree in our back yard in her memory and included some of Sylvia's ashes. The tree is thriving as are many other plants that guests brought. We also raised funds for the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, something we know Sylvia would have supported. A couple of pictures are pasted below.

Thank you all for whatever you can do on May 19,

Steve

Happy Birthday Dear Sylvia

2010-04-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

A Great Soul Serves Everyone All The Time
A Great Soul Never Dies
It Brings Us Together Again and Again

Maya Angelou

Message from Steve and Francoise, Jan 16, 2010

2010-01-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

We are Sylvia's parents. We haven't posted on this blog as we're not bloggers but we would love to hear from anyone who knew Sylvia and has a story to tell - funny, sad, irreverant, about food, green politics, knitting, whatever! Sylvia's tastes were eclectic and we know her friends were also.An update from us: we spent 3 days over Christmas holidays with Sylvia's friends in Cleveland. Wonderful people. We spent time in Connecticut and saw Sylvia's grave stone for the first time. Very hard to look at but it has a flower and butterfly on the back side. We'll post some pictures on the website. We both returned to work in October. Hard to do but necessary and in some way good for us. We miss Sylvia so very much but cherish our memories of her - and yours. Please add to this blog.

Steve and Francoise

Cleveland man indicted for killing bicyclist Sylvia Bingham

2009-10-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Cleveland man indicted for killing bicyclist Sylvia Bingham

By Stan Donaldson

October 22, 2009, 5:52PM

Cleveland -- A 61-year-old Cleveland man was indicted Thursday for vehicular homicide and driving while under the influence in a Sept. 15 accident that killed a 22-year-old bicyclist, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office said.

Herschel Roberts was also indicted for failure to stop after an accident. Prosecutors said that Roberts drove a 2005 Peterbilt Straight truck near Prospect Avenue and East 21st Street when he struck Sylvia Bingham and left the scene.

Roberts' truck was found an hour later in the 1100 block of East 40th Street. Police said he tested positive for marijuana.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 2.

Bringham, a Yale University graduate, was killed as she rode from Ohio City to work at the Hard Hatted Women office, where she helped tradeswomen become mentors.

She was not wearing a helmet, police said.

Photos of the Rides for Sylvia on October 17, 2009

2009-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

RIDING FOR SYLVIA IN OAKLAND, SAN FRANCISCO AND MARIN, CALIFORNIA

Riders who met at Sylvia's childhood home in Oakland, CA to Ride for Sylvia.

Oakland Sylvia riders at San Francisco Bay.

___________________________________________________________________

San Francisco Sylvia Riders at Ocean Beach, San Francisco

Group photo of San Francisco riders on the Ride for Sylvia.

Riders in San Francisco at the Ride for Sylvia.

Steve riding for Sylvia in Marin.

Sylvia's bike shown during the Ride for Sylvia in Marin.

Group Photo of the Ride for Sylvia in Marin

Francoise and others riding for Sylvia in Marin.

2009-10-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Multi-County Memorial Ride for Sylvia Bingham to Promote Safe Streets for Bicycles

Please join us on Saturday October 17, 2009, in a memorial bike ride for Sylvia Bingham to affirm the rights of cyclists to bike safely on public streets. Sylvia, age 22, was killed while riding her bicycle to work in Cleveland on September 15, 2009. She grew up in San Rafael, California and went to Terra Linda High School. A recent Yale graduate and an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Sylvia was passionate about social justice and cycling, and was riding that day to her work at Hard Hatted Women, to empower women to achieve economic independence by creating workplace diversity in trade and technical careers. Sylvia's father, Steve Bingham, is a long-time advocate for the poor at the San Francisco office of Bay Area Legal Aid. Her mother, Francoise Blusseau, is a teacher at Lick-Wilmerding High School in SF. There will be simultaneous memorial bike rides in Sylvia's honor in SF, Marin, the East Bay, and Cleveland.

In memory, celebration, and honor of Sylvia Bingham’s life and love of bicycling and to promote bicycle safety, please join us either in the East Bay, San Francisco, or Marin County.

Please wear white T-shirts. [A Limited number of White T-shirts with “I Ride For Sylvia” on them will be available in an effort to raise funds for the Sylvia Bingham Foundation.] Helmets are required. While waiting for riders to gather, we will distribute reflective bike tape that people can put on their helmets and bikes to increase safety.

These multi-county rides will be silent rides and are being done to coincide with similar rides in Cleveland.

For those of you who may not yet have heard about Sylvia’s accident, you can read about it at www.sylviabinghamfoundation.org You can also learn more about Sylvia as well as the street safety foundation at the website.

Ghost Bike at the Location of the Accident

As part of the effort to draw attention to safe streets in Sylvia's hometown, Sylvia's old bike has been painted white and will be placed as a “Ghost Bike” at the Shell Station on Irwin in San Rafael. We are also working toward placing a “Ghost Bike” in SF. The Ohio City Bike Co-Op has placed a “Ghost Bike” on the corner of the tragic accident.

Thank you for joining us. If questions, please contact: For San Francisco ariellahyman@gmail.com or stacimartin@gmail.com. For the East bay ride, contact steveweiss_law@yahoo.com. For Marin riders, contact Sharon Kaiser dolphinintelligence@gmail.com.

_____________________________________

SF Time and place, and miles: 9:00 am –Meet at the McKinley Statue on Baker bw Fell & Oak, on the Eastern end of the panhandle. Entire ride approximately 4-5 miles.

Marin Time and place and miles: 9:30am – Meet at the Civic Center at Armory Dr. near the children’s playground. Entire ride approximately 4 miles.

East Bay Time and place and miles: meet at Sylvia’s childhood home, 2355 Hughes Ave., in Oakland, at 9:00 a.m. --riding through Alameda, and ending at Alameda

Memorial State Beach. The distance is 4.5 each way, although people would likely not make the full round trip. The Fruitvale BART station is closer.

Sylvia Chantal Bingham Memorial Service October 10, 2009

2009-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Celebration of Sylvia's Life on Saturday, October 10 at Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco

2009-10-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

Francoise and Steve would like you to join them in a celebration of Sylvia's life as follows:

Glide Memorial Church
330 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Saturday October 10, 2009
1:00 to 3:00pm in the Sanctuary
3:00 to 4:30pm in Freedom Hall for Reception

See http://tinyurl.com/yat752a for a map.

People are invited to wear bright colorful clothes that they think Sylvia might have enjoyed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We encourage you to use Public Transportation. To get to Glide from BART:

From the Powell Street BART Exit, walk to 330 Ellis St (about 7 minutes)
1. Head southwest on Market St toward Hallidie Plaza
2. Turn right at Hallidie Plaza
3. Turn right at Powell St
4. Turn left at Ellis and walk 3 blocks to Taylor St
5. Turn right at Taylor St (Entrance to Glide at Taylor)

If you have questions please call Tory Griffith at 510 410-5491 or send email to torygriffith@gmail.com

The Sylvia Bingham Foundation

2009-09-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.sylviabinghamfoundation.org/

The Sylvia Bingham Foundation will help Americans demand the ability to walk or cycle safely to work, school, church or shops. The Foundation will promote safety for cyclists and pedestrians by educating drivers about sharing the road with cyclists and pedestrians and educating cyclists on defensive personal safety techniques. The Foundation will also work with others to encourage state and federal transportation agencies, city and county planners, legislators and policy makers to provide for cyclist safe zones and other engineering controls in areas of high traffic to reduce the risk of injury.
.

Follow the Cleveland Blog To Honor Sylvia

2009-09-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

http://iridefor.blogspot.com/

Follow the blog from friends in Cleveland put together to continue to honor Sylvia’s memory and help build momentum for better biking conditions.
.

I RIDE FOR SYLVIA tee shirts

2009-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Two riders, Jacob and his friend, at Sylvia's house before the memorial ride on Tuesday, September 22 in Cleveland.

Alex Nosse holding up a freshly-printed "I Ride For Sylvia" Tee Shirt.

Donations to BACLF "In Sylvia Bingham's Honor"

2009-09-23T22:41:00.001-07:00

BACLF, a foundation in northern California, has agreed to accept checks for the future Sylvia Bingham Foundation. Checks should be made out to "BACLF." On the memo line put "In Sylvia Bingham's Honor," NOT Sylvia Bingham Foundation, as there are some technical problems with transfer of money if the future foundation is named.

If people prefer, they can also donate to Hard-Hatted Women where Sylvia had just begun working. http://www.hardhattedwomen.org/. She loved her new job.

Memorial Bike Ride in Cleveland, 9/22/2009

2009-09-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

from: Steve Bingham
date: Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 9:17 AM
subject: Fw: 'Sept. 22: Memorial Bike Ride Held In Memory Of Woman Killed - Photos - WEWS Cleveland'

Please forward this widely.

these are cleveland channel 5 pictures from the memorial bike ride there this morning. over 70 people participated. in the foreground of the first picture is Sylvia's closest friend Jill, the reason Sylvia wanted to live in Cleveland. Jill's boyfriend David is holding her. (Alex, Sylvia's new boyfriend, is David's brother). In the second picture is Sylvia's bike, painted white. Wikipedia has a good piece on the history of white "ghost bikes." At the memorial ride in the bay area, we will place Sylvia's San Rafael ghost bike at a dangerous street corner. In the last slide, the bike is attached to a pole at the corner of 21st and Prospect where the accident happened. Though not visible in the slides, the T-shirts were printed with "I ride for Sylvia."

Thank you everyone for all the warm, wonderful emails and calls. They have meant so much to us. At some point we'll try to reply to you. If you haven't yet written, please don't feel you need to. We feel your support.

Steve and Francoise.

ps later today there will certainly be posted the video clips from Channel 5's coverage. This has turned into a big story in Cleveland about street safety

----- Original Message ----- From:
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 8:51 AM
Subject: From A Friend: 'Sept. 22: Memorial Bike Ride Held In Memory Of Woman Killed - Photos - WEWS Cleveland'

smbingham@earthlink.net has sent you a link: "Sept. 22: Memorial Bike Ride Held In Memory Of Woman Killed - Photos - WEWS Cleveland"

The link:
http://www.newsnet5.com/slideshow/21059504/detail.html?taf=nn5

Message from smbingham@earthlink.net: bike ride pix

Pictures of Sylvia from Hannah Jewell

2009-09-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Pictures of Sylvia from Michael Carbone

2009-09-21T22:42:00.001-07:00

Pictures of Sylvia from Rita Denise Lewis

2009-09-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Comments from Paul Harris

2009-09-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

Sylvia and Nash

Messages from Hard Hatted Women

2009-09-20T22:06:00.001-07:00

Our colleague Sylvia Bingham (left) with Calli Frehmeyer, immediate past HHW Board president.

The staff, board, volunteers, and AmeriCorps VISTA members of Hard Hatted Women are devastated at the loss of our colleague, Sylvia Bingham. We extend our condolences to her family and friends here in Cleveland and in California.

Sylvia was a shining example of the best in America’s young adults. She was intelligent, well-traveled, and optimistic. She could have excelled in any of several careers with notable firms, yet she chose to dedicate a year of her life to helping others through national service in AmeriCorps VISTA (volunteers in service to America). She volunteered to move across the country to work for Hard Hatted Women so that women might raise themselves up through skilled, good-paying jobs. In her brief time with us she brought insight, passion and energy to our work. We will miss her.

For More Information, contact:

Terri Sandu, Executive Director
216-861-6500 x14
216-502-0587 (cell)
tsandu@hardhattedwomen.org

This article appears in http://www.hardhattedwomen.org/

Cleveland Photos

2009-09-20T07:46:00.001-07:00

Comments from Francoise Blusseau and Steve Bingham

2009-09-20T07:35:00.003-07:00

Comments from Friends

2009-09-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

Comments from Peter Haberfeld

2009-09-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

From: phaberfeld@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: absolutely horrible news
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:45:07 +0000

Very very sadly, it is true. Understandably a lot of grief and suffering on the part of Francoise and Steve.

They left last night for Cleveland. They do not know how long they will stay, perhaps three weeks. They plan to have a memorial in the East: perhaps one for her friends from college and perhaps another one at the family. property. They are talking about a get together here in the Bay Area when they return.

Our feeling is that a short contact by email or phone is appreciated, perhaps needed to assure them that others share their pain and that they are part of a community of people whose love will help them get through the initial part of the tragedy.

I have, as Steve's cell number, 415 302 9440.

Because it is unclear what to say at a time like this, let me tell you briefly what Steve talked about yesterday.

Steve asked what my favorite memory was about Sylvia and I talked about the piece she wrote for the journal that was issued at the Dinner honoring his life and contribution.

Sylvia graduated from Yale in May. She went to Cleveland because her best friend from High School was there.

Steve believes that Sylvia's work and her thesis says a lot about who she was. The thesis was written in her field, Urban Planning. She interviewed residents of low income projects and concluded, contrary to popular wisdom, that residents do not report low level crime like tagging because they know those responsible and do not want to sacrifice the community they have by calling in the police. Steve talks admiringly about her courage, both going to an area that is unfamiliar and creating respectful relationships that enabled the people she interviewed to be candid with her.

She began working for an organization called Hard Headed Women, a group that secured unconventional jobs for women, such as working with the fire department. Sylvia did things her own way, according to her parents, bringing creativity and insight to everything she did.

The email address is smbingham@earthlink.net.

Peter

2009-09-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Comments from Hannah Jewell

2009-09-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

With news of your death,
The world feels a little less
Secure under my feet
A little less
Fair
And a little less
Likely
To sort itself out.

I spent the day rummaging through my room looking for everything to do with you. There was a lot. I'm glad this photo from junior prom '04 is small and blurry. Everyone looked hilariously terrible in it. You looked cute though, as usual. You got that dress for $12 somewhere. We didn't have fun, so Barry stole forks to make up for the price of the tickets.

The last time I saw you, you made dinner for our families and it was delicious,
of course. Chilled soup, pizza and pie.

Sylvia: you were a role model and an inspiration to me. And you are the only
writer good enough to put into words how wonderful you were.

At graduation, you challenged your classmates
To make change, everyone just a little.

You challenge us again
With your passing
To fill a tiny part
Of the terrible void
You leave behind you
(Though we will never fill
The hole in our hearts)
By trying
All together
To help the world as much
As you could have done on your own

---------------------
Hannah Jewell, 9/19/2009

News Stories

2009-09-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

Bingham ’09 dies in accident
Ilana Seager Staff Reporter

Published Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sylvia Bingham ’09, a Yale graduate who was passionate about social justice and the environment, died Tuesday morning. She was 22.

Bingham was en route to her job in Cleveland shortly before 9 a.m. when a truck collided with her bicycle. She passed away at St. Vincent Charity Hospital soon after. The truck driver did not stop, but police located him that afternoon using information provided by witnesses. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.

A California native, Bingham moved to Cleveland after graduating to work at the organization Hard Hatted Women, which helps to lift women out of poverty. She described herself on LinkedIn, a networking Web site, as being passionate about eliminating urban poverty and creating job opportunities in the skilled trades.

“Eventually I’d like to see urban, sustainable agriculture generate high-wage, high-skilled green jobs in our cities,” she wrote.

It was this passion that flowed out of Bingham in all aspects of her life. Spending long hours working at the Yale Farm, pursuing a double major in French and sociology, or cooking for her friends, Bingham was an inspiration to those around her. As her friend Tommy Crawford ’09 described, she “rallied others around her to service” and encouraged them to “look at the community they live in and see how they can help or get involved.”

“Being with Sylvia, being near her, was a privilege, a gift, an event,” Adam Gardner ’09 wrote in an e-mail. “For some reason, she chose to come into our lives, and we will never forget her spirit, her beauty, and the generosity that inspired her to share herself so completely with us.”

As a student, Bingham exhibited a deep commitment to her curricular and extra-curricular pursuits. For her senior project about public housing on Dixwell Avenue and New Urbanist planning, she conducted extensive original research. Professor Hannah Brueckner, the director of undergraduate studies for sociology who got to know Bingham during her senior year, described her as a “fearless intellectual, a skilled field worker, and a committed activist.”

Bingham believed that people could make a difference in the world and devoted her life to social justice and environmental issues, her college roommate Lucia Diaz-Martin ’09 said.

She was described as kind-hearted and effervescent, someone who cared deeply for her friends and family. Bingham would drop anything for her friends, Anna Parks ’09 said.

“She showed up on my birthday with a box of dainty little madeleines that she had baked for me,” Parks said. “I think that cookie and that act represent her persona perfectly: she was bursting with creativity and was a teeny, quirky fashionista.”

Another college roommate, Molly Fischer ’09, said Bingham made their apartment at 67 Edgewood Ave “the coziest little home in the world” last year. A talented chef with a colorful palette, Bingham enjoyed throwing dinner parties for her friends.

“We had the best house meals and dinner parties, and Sylvia was the one who was behind all that, lurking in the kitchen,” Fischer said. “You couldn’t ask for someone better to live with than Sylvia.”

To all those who crossed her path, Bingham took time to get to know the people around her and could connect with all types of people. “Sylvia was a beautifully unique girl with an accepting heart and open mind,” Josh Helmrich ’09 wrote in an e-mail. “She was at ease in any crowd, and could get along with anyone (while being loved by everyone).”

Timothy Dwight College Dean John Loge, Bingham’s dean, said Bingham was a memorable student and will be sorely missed. “I remember Sylvia very well,” he said. “She is the kind of person one remembers: spirited, independent, lively, sassy, intelligent. She was really the light of life itself.”

Danika Fears contributed reporting.