This time of year, it can be difficult finding a good reason to brave the weather and ride your bike.

Here’s a good reason.

Next Saturday is a ride to benefit the Gleaner’s Food Bank in Detroit.  The ride starts at noon from The Hub (3611 Cass Avenue in Detroit).  We’ll ride around to several local grocery stores and buy non-perishable can goods.  You’ll need to bring about $10 to $15 and a bag to carry the cans.

Last year’s Gleaners ride was a great time despite the rain.

And don’t forget that the nearby Capuchin Soup Kitchen’s Earthworks program is looking for donated tools, especially bike tools.  This might be a good opportunity to double your donations.

The ghost bike on Woodward in Royal Oak has been removed — and for the right reasons.

The removal was not unexpected.  Royal Oak Police expressed interest in keeping it there in hopes that it would help with their investigation.  It could serve as a reminder to driver’s with additional helpful information to contact the police.

Now that the investigation has led to an arrest, that reminder is no longer needed.

However, the Bank of America (where the ghost bike was located) is still collecting monetary donations to a fund for the victim’s two boys.  Donations should be made in the name of Robinson’s mother, Judith Parent, who is caring for the boys. The address is Bank of America, 28746 Woodward, Royal Oak 48067.

The Free Press is reporting the arraignment in the ghost bike hit-and-run crash from back in September:

Kimberly Dancy, 44, was arraigned Monday for leaving an at-fault accident that caused death — a 15-year felony. She also faces a charge of malicious property destruction, a two-year-felony, stemming from a collision in a drugstore parking lot that police say Dancy caused a few hours after striking the cyclist on Sept. 19 at 1:30 a.m.

But Dancy’s defense attorney said hers is a case of mistaken identity, and that she is a victim of “circumstance and coincidence.”

According to another report from ClickOnDetroit:

Prosecutors also cited Darcy’s stained driving record. Darcy was cited in 2002 for driving on a suspended or revoked license and her license was taken away in 2005 for drunken driving. It was reinstated in 2006.

Judge Terrence Brennan said there was no indication Darcy was driving drunk on the night of the fatal hit-and-run, but he has ordered her to stay away from alcohol and she must not leave the state.

Bond was set at $20,000 or 10 percent. Darcy posted $2,000 bond and was released.

ClickonDetroit also posted  on-line video coverage.

The arraignment was also covered by C&G Newspapers and the Detroit News.

Today’s Free Press has additional coverage of this tragic event, including comments from the victim’s family:

“I’m glad to see there was an arrest. Now we just have to see how justice turns out,” said Heather Weeks, Robinson’s cousin. “You have to wonder because you’d think a normal person would stop even to help an animal.”

The victim’s cousin said the arrest brings a measure of relief but no closure.

“We still have two little kids who are going to have Christmas without their mom,” Weeks said.

Reminder: Donations can be made in the name of Robinson’s mother, Judith Parent, who is caring for the boys. The address is Bank of America, 28746 Woodward, Royal Oak 48067.

ClickonDetroit also has an article on-line along with this older, but well-done video coverage. It’s clear that the victim’s family and Royal Oak Police are supportive of the ghost bike since it memorializes Ms. Robinson and may have helped in the investigation.

The video image of her bike clearly showed a very damaged rear wheel and an undamaged front wheel. This appears to confirm the police report that she was traveling north on Woodward and was struck from behind.

Yesterday morning, an arrest warrant was issued for Kimberly Cooley Dancy, a 44-year old Royal Oak resident who is charged with the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist Jacqueline Marie Robinson.

The charges?  According to the Daily Tribune, “Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both; leaving the scene of a serious injury accident, a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both; and malicious destruction of property over $1,000, a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.”

Dancy is expected to turn herself in on Monday.

According to the Daily Tribune:

Dancy tried to mask the damage to her white 2008 Jeep Liberty by driving it into a parked car one day after Jacqueline Marie Robinson, 40, of Detroit was killed, Royal Oak Detective Frank Bonnette said.

“She intentionally damaged her vehicle by striking another vehicle,” Bonnette told 44th District Court Magistrate Kenneth Roy, who signed an arrest warrant. The experts in Rosemead area criminal defense lawyers can help in such cases.

“It was the only vehicle in the parking lot and she rammed her Jeep into it at the same point of impact where the bicyclist was struck,” he said at a hearing Wednesday.

According to a story in The Mirror, Dancy had filed a lawsuit against the City of Royal Oak for impounding her vehicle as evidence. The Police were planning on arresting her when she appeared for the initial hearing at the 44th District Court.

She never showed.

While there are still a few hours left on this day, there’s no better time to give thanks to the Royal Oak Police Department for their investigative efforts in this crime.