Space Shuttle Discovery Launch

What a beautiful sight it was! It never gets old and brings tears to my eyes every time I see a launch. Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven rocketed into orbit today in pursuit of the international space station, where a formidable construction job awaits them. Discovery blasted off at 11:38 a.m., ducking through clouds. It carried a giant Tinkertoy-type link that must be installed at the space station before European and Japanese laboratories can arrive.

If you haven't seen one yet, you really need to look at the schedule and make plans to attend. It is definitely something you will never forget.

World surfer champion Kelly Slater detained in Israel

Wow, this is interesting. As a long time fan of Cocoa Beach resident, Kelly Slater I was shocked to hear that he was detained in Jerusalem for his involvement in a brawl that broke out in a bar. According to the Associated Press, Police detained eight-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater early Saturday after a scuffle with photographers who were trying to take pictures of him with an Israeli supermodel, police said.

Israeli photographers were waiting outside as the American surfer and model Bar Rafaeli left a hotel in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya before dawn Saturday, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Slater pushed the cameramen in an effort to prevent them from taking pictures, a photographer at the scene told Channel Two TV.

"A brawl broke out and Slater was taken for questioning and later released," Rosenfeld said.

It was not the first time foreign guests of Rafaeli have scuffled with journalists. Earlier this year, Rafaeli and her then-boyfriend, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, created a media storm when he visited her in Israel.

After eluding journalists for days, the pair was met by a group of waiting photographers when they toured Jerusalem. Their bodyguards scuffled with photographers, punching some and damaging equipment.

Rafaeli later told an Israeli newspaper she wouldn't bring anyone famous to Israel "because there is a chutzpah here that you won't see anywhere else."

Slater, who is of Syrian descent, was visiting Israel for the first time as part of efforts by the group "Surfing for Peace" to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians through the sport.

Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach is the most successful professional surfer in the history of the sport. Slater is an eight time world champion and has been sponsored by Quiksilver since 1990. He competed in the X-Games in 2003 and 2004. In May 2005 in the final of the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest at Teahupoo, Slater became the first to score two perfect rides for a total 20 out of 20 ASP two-wave scoring system (the corresponding honour under the previous three-wave system belongs to Shane Beschen from 1996). In 2006 Slater tied Tom Curren for most career tour victories, 34, at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, then in September of 2007 he passed Tom Curren by winning the Boost Mobile Pro at Trestles.

Official Biketoberfest Calendar

Official Biketoberfest® Festival Weekend
October 18 - 21, 2007
WWW.BIKETOBERFEST.ORG
2007 EVENTS SCHEDULE

Join us for Biketoberfest®, a festival celebrating the joy of motorcycling. Activities include rides, shows, concerts & more. Contact the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, toll free at (866) 296-8970 or email info@biketoberfest.org for details.


Official Biketoberfest® Festival Weekend

October 18 - 21, 2007
Join us for Biketoberfest®, a festival celebrating the joy of motorcycling. Activities include rides, shows, concerts & more. Contact the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, toll free at (866) 296-8970 or email info@biketoberfest.org for details.

10/18-10/21 Official Biketoberfest® Event Welcome Centers - Complete listing of all events, activities and loads of information. Sign in and pick up an official event poster and wallet card. For information call (866) 296-8970 or visit www.Biketoberfest.org. Visitor Information Centers located inside: The Daytona 500 Experience, 1801 West International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach and inside Destination Daytona, 1637 North U.S. Hwy. 1, Ormond Beach.

10/18-10/21 Main Street Rally - The place to see and be seen. Festival includes vendors, entertainment and more. For information call Main Street Merchants Entertainment at (386) 252-1922 or (386) 255-9525.

10/18-10/21 Cruisin Café - Live bands, souvenirs, t-shirts, daily entertainment. For information call (386) 253-5522
or visit www.cruisincafe.com. 2 South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 Froggy’s Saloon - Music day and night, souvenirs and more. For information call (386) 254-8808.
800 Main Street, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 Dirty Harry’s - Three bands daily including the Scott Yvonne Band, Avarice and Groove Bone. Wet t-shirt contests at 2:00PM, 5:00PM and 7:00PM. T-shirts, souvenirs and more. Open 8:00AM to 3:00AM. No cover. For information call (386) 257-1944 or visit www.dirtyharrysdaytona.com.
705 Main Street, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 Bank & Blues Club - The best in rockabilly with the Razorbacks. Also enjoy performances by Gil Dubois and Grammy nominee Tony O., all in a historic bank building. Open 11:00AM to 3:00AM.
No cover. For information call (386) 257-9272 or visit www.thebankdaytona.com. 701 Main Street, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 Full Moon Saloon - Live Southern and Biker rock on two stages. On the inside stage enjoy the music of Kabin Fever. On the outside stage see performances by Martian Dope, KGB and Stone Throw. Contests, souvenirs and more. For information call (386) 253-1944 or visit www.fullmoonsaloondaytona.com. 700 Main Street, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 Wise Guys Watering Hole - Great entertainment and fun. For information call (386) 253-8251. 415 Main Street, Daytona Beach.

10/18-10/21 316 Main Street Station Restaurant & Saloon - Daily activities, food and more. For information call (386) 248-0085. 316 Main Street, Daytona Beach.
www.Biketoberfest.org

Biketoberfest keeps tourism running, posted in the Daytona Beach News Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- Hotel operators in Volusia County, especially the east side, have looked forward to Biketoberfest for the past few years to help overcome a summer tourism season cut short by the early arrival of back-to-school in Florida.

But this year when the fabled special event rolls into town today through Sunday, it will serve more as the icing on the cake, according to a local tourism official.

"Biketoberfest is always a great economic pop for the economy," said Lori Campbell Baker, spokeswoman for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Every year it brings quite a bit of money into the county and this year will be no different."

But this year, thanks to a later-school start (Aug. 20), area properties finished the summer season on the upside for a change. A check of public records shows through the first eight months of the year, the bed tax collected countywide is at about $6.34 million, an increase of about 3 percent despite the fact that late spring and early summer tourism -- specifically April and June -- were off this year.

"We're pretty excited about the figures we're seeing so far," Baker said.

Bob Davis, president of the Hotel-Motel Association of Volusia County, said occupancy for this year looks very promising based on comments he has heard from members of his group.

"Yes, (Biketoberfest) helps. Yes, it is a good event. And yes, it is a big boost," Davis said recently.

The Ocean Waters chain, with more than 2,000 hotel rooms spread among two dozen local hotels, is also expecting a boon from Biketoberfest after strong late summer bookings.

"Special events, in general, are very important to the Daytona Beach economy," said Tim Stockman, a vice president at Ocean Waters. "We look forward to a great event, with lots of visitors from all over the area coming to Daytona to enjoy our wonderful fall weather and everything that our city has to offer."

As a hotelier, I can tell you that I love these events but I have seen a sharp decline in the number of visitors over the last 2 years. At my hotel, I am running about 50% occupancy so far for the weekend. I expect to be at 80-85% occupancy, but 2 years ago I could have filled. Hopefully, things will turn around and the events will start bringing more bikers back into the area. I am looking forward to many more years of successful events in the Daytona Beach area.

Bret Michaels is coming to Daytona Beach

Bret Michaels is coming to Daytona Beach for Bike Week. He will be playing with his solo band at the Broken Spoke Saloon, 1151 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach. Tickets are $10.00 and they are going fast.

FL Ticket locations in Daytona Beach: Nerve Marketing, 118 N. Beach St.; Skips Boots, 1320 W. International Speedway Blvd.; Atlantic Sounds, 138 W. International Speedway Blvd.; Willie's Tropical Tattoos, 825 S. Yonge St.

Call (386) 257-3030 for more information.

Check back for more Biketoberfest updates.