My goal is to create a network of daily Port runners who will interface with each other and with the PW Police Department for the purpose of accumulating and reporting information about motorists who are habitually dangerous to pedestrians in general and runners in particular -- Port Runners Safety Group.

I have been a regular early morning runner in Port Washington for three decades, during which time I have narrowly escaped serious injury or death many times as a result of motorists (especially truckers) who are disdainful of runners. On the morning of January 16, 1987, I was not so lucky as to escape injury: I suffered a fractured skull as a result of a negligent motorist.

I have been so agitated of late by the recklessness of truck drivers that I have written letters of complaint to their dispatchers. Just yesterday I stopped running to lecture the one driver about his negligent driving. (My wife had mentioned to me a couple of weeks before that he almost hit her).

My wife also frequently runs in the morning. Not long ago, in addition to this incident and other near misses, she was hit by a bundle of newspapers thrown by a truck driver while she was running on the sidewalk on Main Street.

I would like Port Washington News to print this letter. I would like anyone who knows a runner to make certain he or she knows about my letter. I would like every daily runner to report incidents to me -- date, time, license plate, etc. I would like to make a weekly or monthly report to the police based on this information.

Will you help us runners?

Barton R. Sadowsky