Letter: Bike parade ending upsets grieving dad
To the community,
It has taken a couple of days for me to compose myself after discovering that Mo’s Place would be the terminal point for a parade on the anniversary Zip’s senseless beating, which resulted in his death. The web, being what it is, everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether they knew Zip or not. (Too bad for those folks who didn’t.)
Mark Cutright is unapologetic for planning to end his May 16 bike ride at the site of a lethal bar fight. Photo/LTN file
I have purposely refrained from making any reactionary public comment, because frankly, my sorrow and grief over our loss of Zip makes any rhetoric meaningless.
I’m curious if Chief Slowroller [Mark Cutright] would be so flippant if the Rollers knew that Zip was one of their own. He was a cruiser, very proud of his latest creation, having recently built a 200 spoker with a 6-inch springer front end to add to his other three rigs. That bike now resides at Zip’s home, above a waterfall, in an area that’s named The Peaceful Place.
Among the crew that were there in Tahoe that night Zip was beaten were the bride and groom, some of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, that all rode their cruisers to the wedding in gowns and tuxes. You should see the pictures of that. The bachelor/bachelorette parties were in Tahoe, wedding in Ripon. Zip and his brother Patch (who was also severely beaten that same night), were both cruising in the wedding party.
I am biased, but if I were the Slowrollers, I’d terminate someplace else, even knowing that ducats will be lost. But saving face, like throwing down, sometimes has a cost.
That weekend our crew is already amassed to have a memorial dive at Rainbow Pool, on the 19th, Zip’s birthday. He would have been 31.
This is something I felt the Slowrollers should know.
I just thought the Rollers should know that Zip was one of their fallen brothers, not simply some flatlander run amok.
Wayne Penaranda, father of Derek “Zippy” Penaranda
Yo Slowroll-Stand your rightful ground-don’t back down and don’t forget to wear that teabaggger outfit disrespecting the flag again this year.
Wayne, I’m so profoundly sorry for your pain and loss. What “chief slow roller” does is not a reflection of the large majority of Tahoe residents. Thank you for this letter. He will most likely say unkind things in response, please ignore.
Mr. Wayne Penaranda:
I echo the comments expressed to you by Lisa.
Wayne so sorry for your loss and the kind of comments by the clown slowroller, at least I know his name now and will never go to Mo’s if they do not change this.
Westboro Baptist Church? Tasteless.
Why not finish the ride at El Dorado Beach and invite the Ripon friends and family bikers to see our new Lakeview Commons and try to somehow heal our collective sorrowful spirits?
Yo King Loafer, yes, you, Mark the slow rolling loaf king. WT? Respect. C.Dub
Wayne, I am also sorry for your loss and find this whole issue a tragedy and scar on the character of South Lake Tahoe. May you be at peace.
I am sorry, but I do not understand the venom out there regarding the termination point of a simple bicycle event.
Did the slow rollers even know of “the anniversary” of Zippy’s injury at Mo’s? I don’t know.
But there are undeniable facts and questions whic should be considered.
Did tragedy happen? Of course it did.
Was it senseless? Of course it was.
Were the bouncers citizens?
What difference does it make? They were doing what they were there for.
Was there use of excessive force on Zippy?
I don’t know. Probably, but this is for the courts to decide and they apparently have film to help figure it out.
But let us not forget who threw the first punch.
Zippy may have been a great guy to some, but he resorted to physical violence because he was being asked to leave for being unruly. One could propose he might have punched anyone who stood in the way of what he wanted, even an unrelated bar patron.
Zippy resorted to physical violence because he was not getting his wish to keep drinking.
He had more to do with his ultimate fate than anyone else, no matter how good a guy he was when sober.
“I am sorry,” … you certainly are.
observer:
I would suggest that you read Chief Slowroller’s blog contained in the April 17th LTN article entitled “3 Mo’s Place Bouncers Accused of Killing Patron” along with Patrick Penaranda’s blogged account of what happened which is contained in that same article. The difference between your account of what happened from Penaranda’s are at opposing ends of the spectrum. But to say that the bouncers “Were doing what they were there for”; that “Zippy resorted to physical violence because he was not getting his wish to keep drinking”; that “He had more to do with his ultimate fate than anyone else;” and “Was there use of excessive force on Zippy? I don’t know,” is simply astounding. I don’t think killing someone is part of a bouncer’s job-description, or that being the one who throws the first punch entitles three bouncers to beat someone to death. The man died as a result of the injuries he sustained that night and I hope that the “film to help figure it out” to which you referred is nice and clear.
About the only thing I can agree with you on is that this will be decided in a criminal court, but I would add that there will likely be a civil case against Mo at which time he should be held accountable. I recommend that all the self-proclaimed and closet Mo supporters enjoy their cocktails with their good buddy Mo at his “place” while they still can. Personally, I wouldn’t set foot in that establishment.
Bijou Bill:
I think your idea to finish the ride at El Dorado Beach, invite the Ripon friends and family bikers to see our new Lakeview Commons, and try to somehow heal our collective sorrowful spirits is phenomenal. Thank you for a really great suggestion!
4-mer
I will go track down chief slow rollers blog…didn’t know it existed.
But please if you are going to refute what I wrote, at least do it after accurately reading it.
Please note that with reference to the use of excessive force….I said “I DON’T KNOW,PROBABLY.” How could I know since I was not there. Apparently neither were you.
Let actual witnesses and film prove or disprove.
No matter what…
Anyone, drunk or sober who gets out of control and hits another person hard enough to render them unconscious has committed the first crime and started a chain of events that have unpredictable outcomes, obviously including their own death.
This was not anyone’s fault except Zips. That is, unless you want to also go after Zips friends and family who may or may not have been there, and may or may not have been able to keep Zip under control.
Whatever Mo did or didn’t do, he didn’t knock himself unconscious. If Mo had died from his injuries what would you be saying about Zip?
observer:
If the situation was reversed and Mo had died from injuries inflicted upon him specifically by Mr. Penaranda (aka Zippy) then I would be saying that Mr. Penaranda should have been charged with killing him. This isn’t so much about the specific person but is about the fact that a man was in a local bar called Mo’s Place and that he was beaten to death by three individuals in Mo’s employ. After approximately 11-months of investigation and information collection those three individuals have now been charged with Mr. Penaranda’s killing, and I seriously doubt that the charges were filed frivolously but only subsequent to very careful preparation. And at the conclusion of a criminal trial a judgment will be made based on the evidence presented.
I stick by what I said that a bouncer’s job description does not include beating someone to death, even if that person was the one who threw the first punch. And I believe it’s absurd to state that “Anyone, drunk or sober who gets out of control and hits another person hard enough to render them unconscious has committed the first crime and started a chain of events that have unpredictable outcomes, obviously including their own death.” I’ve received a first punch on numerous occasions and never once did I think I needed to kill the person who hit me. This incident happened in Mo’s bar which is in the business of serving mind-altering alcohol and it was served to Mr. Penaranda by a bartender in Mo’s employ. So why didn’t Mo’s bartender cut him off before he reached what you believe was an out of control state since one would think that the bartender while at work was sober and using unimpaired judgment? And why couldn’t three bouncers that one would also think should be sober while at work and using unimpaired judgment restrain one intoxicated man until the police arrived instead of beating him to death? While you may believe that your arguments in favor of Mo and his crew have validity, I completely disagree and believe that this circumstance was a flat out “beating frenzy” by a group of people having a like-mind to Mo’s who think they can do whatever they want and get away with anything. But guess what folks–it isn’t the Old West anymore.
While Mo hasn’t been charged with killing this man, you can bet he’ll get his *** sued off in a civil suit, just like what happened to OJ Simpson in the civil case that he lost.
Chief Slowroller:
“Meet at South Shore Bikes at the Y in South Lake Tahoe and then pedal to Mo’s Place on May 16 starting at 4pm. The spirit bike parade is put on the Slowrollers Bike Club. (Last year’s event did not set a Guinness World Record because cyclists could not stay in a straight line.) Mark Cutright is unapologetic for planning to end his May 16 bike ride at the site of a lethal bar fight. Photo/LTN file.”
Well Chief, it’s starting to look like someone bigger that either one of us is going to rain on YOUR parade.