MAY-JUN 2008 - Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society

MAY-JUN 2008
Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society
OFFICERS:
President
Marc Kovisser
President@aabts.org
Vice President
Secretary
Terry Treppa-(734) 729-2240
ttreppa@comcast.net
Treasurer
Dave Patria - (734) 665-3961
COMMITTEES:
Membership
Beth Caldwell- (734) 663-5060
Ann Hunt-(734) 761 1147
aehunt@comcast.net
Mileage
Vickie Smith - (734) 996-9461
Vickie.Smith@comcast.net
Ride Calendar
Jim Spencer – (734) 904-6431
jspencer_aabtscal@earthlink.net
Maps
Frank Lamitola - (734) 996-9461
frankolam@comcast.net
Newsletter Editor
Lynda Collins-(734)994-7929
Lyndac19@comcast.net
Special Events
Dan Harrison - (734) 971-3610
a2dan@att.net
OHR chair
Maury Kroopnick
mkroopnick@mindspring.com
Publicity
Liz Calhoun
lizcal@umich.edu
Equipment
Tom Glowacki - (734) 426-4616
tom.glowacki@AVLNA.com
Safety
Carole Hann(734)483-0448
carolehann@comcast.net
Paul Alman(734) 663-2540
Kathleen Donahoe(734) 996-4985
Bud Preston(248) 380-0691
Web Guy
Margaret Kelly
webguy@aabts.org
BOARD:
Mark Shields [chair](734) 455-4453
Tom Powell - (734) 994-6340
Chris Marble (734) 426-8694
Craig Stephan (734) 761-7328
Jim Van Vlerah
jimvanplym@aol.com
ALTERNATE ROUTES FOR RIDERS DURING
CONSTRUCTION
by Lynda Collins
As most AABTS riders who have dodged potholes and disappearing pavement
are aware, Huron River Drive and the bridge in Dexter have needed repair and
resurfacing. As of this May, 2008, the long awaited reconstruction of these areas
will begin.
The section of Huron River Drive from Main Street/M14 to Bird Park will be
resurfaced and depending on weather conditions reopened in October of 2009.
Due to the seasonal nature of the weather and protection of the slope and
neighboring wetlands, the construction will occur in two phases. The first will
occur from May, 2008 to sometime in September and the second in May 2009 to
October 2009. During these time periods, the road will be closed. The road will
be rebuilt to the same guidelines as the previous road or approximately 23 feet in
width.
Although the Dexter Bridge will be open during construction, the Washtenaw
Road Construction supervisor Aaron Berkholz, recommends that riders stay off
the bridge. “Two-way traffic will be maintained in lanes l0-11’ in width but no
shoulder will be present. Temporary concrete barriers will be placed on either
side of traffic lanes. The speed limit will be 25 MPH. Intermittent closures with
flagging are likely to accommodate the movement of equipment and materials.
Overhead Equipment (cranes, excavators) and large trucks will be constantly in
motion on the site. Also, with the heavily deteriorated nature of the existing
Bridge deck surface, cyclists will have limited room available to navigate around
the rough areas.”
Thus based on this recommendation and considering the safety of riders,
alternate routes have been suggested by the board and president of AABTS.
Accompanying the article are maps of the routes and directions. Links to all of
these maps have aready been emailed to the membership.
The first two maps show the suggested routes from Wheeler Park to Huron River
Drive around the affected stretch of Huron River Drive. The first map goes from
Wheeler Park to the interesection of Newport and Sunset Roads, the second from
that interection to Huron River Drive at Foster Road.
The next map shows a suggested route around the bridge in Dexter.
AABTS Web site
http://www.aabts.org
(Continued on page 2)
1
(Continued from page 1)
Huron River Drive Detour, part 1: Wheeler Park to Sunset and Newport
Huron River Drive Detour, part2: Sunset and Newport to Huron River Drive
2
Detour around the bridge in Dexter
Please join the
3 Annual Ride of Silence in Ann Arbor
Wednesday May 21st 6:30 pm
Wheeler Park, Ann Arbor
rd
Once again the AABTS will join cyclists worldwide in a silent, slow paced ride in honor of those who have
been injured or killed while bicycling on public roadways.
We’ll meet at Wheeler Park at 6:30 p.m. to don armbands in black (in memory of those killed) or red (to
honor those injured) and hear a few remarks, before beginning the silent ride at 7:00 p.m.
The Ride of Silence also raises awareness that we, as bicyclists, are “here,” and asks that we – bicycles and
motor vehicles – all share the road. To these ends, a new route will give us more visibility this year, with a 7mile, figure eight loop that includes downtown Ann Arbor via Main Street; the west side via Madison, 7th,
Pauline, and the bike lanes on Stadium & Liberty; the campus area via Liberty and State; and the University
Hospital area with return to Wheeler via Maiden Lane, Broadway and E. Summit.
We are hiring a bicycle patrol officer from the Ann Arbor Police Department to accompany us, and, as last
year, expect traffic control by the Ann Arbor Police at two crucial intersections. Bagpiper Herm Steinman
will welcome riders back to Wheeler Park at the end of the ride.
Please direct questions to ride captain Ann Hunt 734-604-3351, aehunt@comcast.net. Also, visit
www.rideofsilence.org.
3
Safe Routes to School: Promoting Bike Safety in the Community
by Lynda Collins
Ray Fullerton, Ann Arbor Bicycle Ambassador and active member of AABTS, had been very involved in
promoting bicycling in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw county for some time. As part of this involvement, he has
become an advocate of the national Safe Routes to School (SR2S). The main goal of SR2S is to increase the
number of students who walk or bike to school along safe routes. That goal is achieved through a proven
process and funded by a Federal grant.
Ray became interested about a year ago when he read Ann Arbor’s Bicycle Friendly Community Application
to the League of American Bicyclists and learned they did not have a Safe Routes to School program in
place. This seemed strange given the amount of bicycling and walking going on in Ann Arbor and the area.
Since that time he has attended three training sessions to learn what it takes to start a successful program in
a local school. The 5 E’s are used by advocates for SR2S to describe the range of problems and solutions
associated with walking and biking to school. SR2S programs always have some combination of:
•
•
•
•
•
Educational objectives to teach safe walking and biking skills
Encouragement approaches to shift parent and student motivation
Enforcement strategies to discourage dangerous behaviors
Engineering treatments to improve the physical setting
Evaluation techniques to measure attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and outcomes
A team is formed at each school to use the 5 E’s in identifying safe routes, car drop off zones, street
crossings, and other barriers which can be corrected through engineering solutions.
Currently Eberwhite Elementary School in Ann Arbor is involved with Developing the Safe Routes Program
,and Carpenter and Allen Schools are also registered with the state for grant funding of the program. BASE
( Bicycle Advocacy, Safety and Education Committee) of AABTS will be working with the Ann Arbor
Schools to assist with the 2 E’s of Education and Encouragement.
For those who are interested, check out these websites:
www.freiker.org/site/wiki/home
/www.saferoutesmichigan.org
Out from Under the Helmet: George Gonyo, Musician
by Lynda Collins
George Gonyo joined AABTS over a decade ago and now after retirement bikes during the day as well as in
the evenings. Before retirement he averaged 500 miles per year, primarily on the Saturday morning rides and
Big Sky rides. Now he has doubled that mileage by adding Tuesday, Wednesday , and sometimes Thursday
morning rides. There are occasions when Kim, one of his three daughters, joins the morning ride. Besides
biking, George is a ski instructor at Mount Brighton in the winter months. He definitely enjoys outdoor
activity.
4
However, in addition to his athletic accomplishments, George plays the hammer dulcimer. Originally he was
attracted to dulcimer music at a Funfest in Evart, Michigan. Afterward he took lessons and decided to
purchase his own instrument. The hammer dulcimer is a stringed trapezoid shaped instrument with three
octaves played with small wooden hammers. The strings run from left to right across the bridges and are
usually in pairs, two strings for each note. As with a piano, the purpose of using multiple strings per course
is to make the instrument louder. In Michigan it was called a “lumberjack piano” because it was much more
portable than a piano and could be carried to the lumber camps for music. The instrument may have
originated in Persia thousands of years ago, and has been known by various names around the world.
George plays in a group called the Silver Strings Dulcimer Society based in Garden City, Michigan. There
are over l00 members and half play the hammered dulcimer. They are also accompanied by musicians on
guitar, fiddle ,banjo, auto harp, recorder, string bass, washtub bass, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, recorder,
and whistle. They have approximately 40 performances a year at various venues. Once they played at the
Michigan State Capitol in Lansing in an effort to make the hammer dulcimer the State instrument.
Amazing what other talents and interests our fellow bikers possess.
George Gonyo, in the center, plays his dulcimer in concert.
5
Where Does the Money Go?
by Mark Shields, Chairman AABTS
Each year, the Board reviews numerous requests to make donations to several local charities. The
reasons for these requests are varied. Simple donations such as to the York Baptist Church and to the
Plymouth Library are the Club’s thank you for allowing the members to use their facilities to change. Along
with these gifts, we make donations to other area groups such as the Washtenaw Bicycle & Walking
Coalition that we work with to make cycling safer for all of us. The final Club donations are made to
charities that either support the mission of the Club like the Lou Chaney Fund or use cycles to help those
less fortunate than ourselves like PEAC.
The Table below shows the Club’s list of donations for this Fiscal Year, 2007-2008.
Declared Donations
Lou Chaney Fund
PEAC Donation
Plymouth Library
Northlake Methodist Church
Ecology Center of Ann Arbor
Washinenaw Bicycle & Walking Coalition
York Baptist Church
Arrow Communications
Subtotal
Amount
1500
2500
200
100
200
200
200
100
5000
Additional Donations
President’s Discretionary Fund—
President is permitted to make donations
on behalf of the Club with the total not to
exceed 1000USD
Safe Roads 2 School Initiative (BASE)
Subtotal
1000
500
1500
TOTAL DONATIONS
6500
These donations were made possible through the successful fundraising event of last year’s OHR (2007).
I and the rest of the board would like to thank all of you who took time last year to volunteer for OHR, and
we look forward to working with you at this year’s OHR.
See you on the Roads.
GREEN FAIR AND BIKE FEST
The annual Ann Arbor Green Fair and Bike Fest will be held in Ann Arbor
On Friday, June l3th from 6pm to 9pm on traffic-blocked sections of Main and Liberty
Streets. While the Green Fair takes in all aspects of environmental-friendly living, the Bike Fest part of the
Fair concentrates on bicycling information, demonstrations, bike
Dealers, and bicycle organizations. Besides the AABTS, other groups planning to attend
The Bike Fest are Bike Ypsi, Ann Arbor Velo Club, League of Michigan Bicyclists,
Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association, Wolverine Recumbent Cyclists, and
WBWC.
6
Lifetime Mileage Milestone Awards for 2007
Lifetime Mileage Milestone Awards earned by club members in 2007 were presented at the March 27
Potluck. A total of 60 awards were earned by 56 AABTS members last year. Four guys – John Bain, John
Finnegan, Gary Francis and Tom Sleeker – earned two milestone awards each.
Mileage patches or pins are presented at 5,000-mile intervals. The highest award for 2007 was
115,000 Lifetime Club Miles, presented to Joe Datsko.
5,000 Miles
Deb Beer
Gerald Huntley
Art Kitze
Joe Pavlovich
Bill Pidgeon
Gail Preston
Marilyn Probanz
Brian Weekley
Jenny Young
25,000 Miles
Jane Barrett
Brad Bates
Eugene Buatti
Beth Caldwell
Geoff Crosbie
Tom Glowacki
Vivian Phillips
Dick Schryer
Martha Schryer
10,000 Miles
Mark Bartleson
Jane Burton
Buster, Buster
Lynda Collins
Steve Dodge
Scott Green
Deb Halbleib
Eileen Knesper
Maury Kroopnick
Kevin McGuinness
Michael Murray
Jonathan Rodgers
Mark Shields
Joe Skurka
Lloyd Strong
30,000 Miles
Charlie DeRoo
Carol Hohnke
Dieter Hohnke
15,000 Miles
Don Broadway
Rita Gelman
Chuck Nicewonder
Mick Osman
35,000 Miles
John Bain
Lucy White
40,000 Miles
John Bain
Sharon Sleeker
45,000
Tom Sleeker
60,000 Miles
John Finnegan
Dan Harrison
65,000 Miles
John Finnegan
Gary Francis
Gary Oak
70,000 Miles
Gwen Evich
Gary Francis
Jan Shubitowski
80,000 Miles
Vickie Smith
85,000 Miles
Don Evich
110,000 Miles
John Pierce
115,000 Miles
Joe Datsko
###
50,000 Miles
Dennis Burke
Tom Sleeker
55,000 Miles
Chris Marble
7
Ride Leader Prizes Awarded
by Paul Bjornstad
Each spring our club has a drawing to thank the club members who have made an effort to lead a ride. The
drawing works in the following manner:
When you lead a ride it is recorded in our club records. For each ride that you lead you get one chance in
the drawing. For example, if you lead 20 rides you have twenty chances to win a prize. Through a
somewhat complicated procedure we use random numbers to select the winners. Then at the spring potluck
the prizes are awarded.
We do this because leading rides is such an important job and this is our way to show our appreciation.
On March 27 our club had its annual drawing and here is a list of the lucky winners:
A weekend at the Serenity Bread and Breakfast in Petoskey- John Pierce
Gift Certificate for a $50.00 dinner in downtown Ann Arbor- Wendy D’Haene, Bud Preston, Sharon Sleeker
Gift Certificate for $30.00 at Two Wheel Tango- Dennis Burke, Tom Sleeker
Gift Certificate for $30.00 at Aberdeen’s- Ron Bunnell, Phyllis Czapala, John Bain
Gift Certificate for $30.00 at Ann Arbor Cyclery- Mick Osman, Dan Harrison
Gift Certificate for $10.00 at Barns and Nobel- Elizabeth Tidd, Steve Dodge, Judy Schmidt, Don Evich
Gift Certificate for $10.00 at Panera- Joe Datsko, Jim Van Vlerah, Jeff Witzburg
Gift Certificate for $20.00 at Demos- Dave Farmer
As an extra bonus for those of you who didn’t win one of the grand prizes it is still possible to receive a
$3.00 gift certificate to either Pierce’s Pastries Plus or Zou Zou’s. These are the places we usually stop at in
Chelsea. If you led a ride just send an email to Clete Bjornstad at bjornsta.w@sbcglobal.net or give me a
call at 734-665-4968 and I will mail you your gift certificate.
I must also mention the winners of the 2007 mileage trophies. One can’t help but be very impressed when
you look at the mileage totals of these very extraordinary athletes:
Gary Francis 12,393 miles, Tom Sleeker 10,755 miles, John Pierce 8,424, Sharon Sleeker 7,909, Gwen
Evich 5,430, Jan Shubitowski 4,506
NOTES FROM WASHTENAW BICYCLE COALITION
The Washtenaw Road Commission will be removing the bike lanes on Ford Boulevard in
Ypsilanti.Township. While the section of bike lanes on Ford Boulevard only run for a mile (from the
Michigan Avenue bndge to Holmes Road, the ramifications and precedent for the Road Commission’s
action is noteworthy.
1. The bike lanes being removed are a part of a growing non-motorized network in the eastern end of
Washtenaw County and take away a vital north-south link in Ypsilanti Township.
8
2. The Road Commissions actions set a precedent where any already completed non-motorized project could
be removed just by someone starting a petition. If such a process is continued, petitions could be started to
remove bike lanes on any road in the county (i.e. Packard Road in Ann Arbor, Grove Road in Ypsilanti
Township.)
3. The recent action by the Road Commission destroys the credibility on holding public hearings before the
start of any project.
4. Studies have shown that four lane to two-lane conversions (with a turning lane) have significantly
lowered traffic speeds as well as accident rates.
5. In an age of soaring childhood obesity, and a growing Safe Routes to School Program, The Road
Commission’s action take away a biking route option to both Willow Run High School and Holmes
Elementary School.
6. Hurts the “2010 Campaign” by local government groups and officials to win
A $50 million dollar grant to improve and build non-motorized projects in Washtenaw
Country.
For updates on this issue, visit the WBWC webpage at www.wbwc.org.
Ride of Silence in Ypsilanti on Wednesday, May 21
In Ypsilanti, the Ride of Silence will start at 7:00pm at Recreation Park, Congress and Elm Streets, and is
sponsored by Bike Ypsi. See www.bikeypsi.org or call 734-487-9058 for more information.
Riding Through the Landscape
By Suzie Heiney, Washtenaw Land Trust
The first flush of bright green in the spring rolling by… Fields stretching out into the distance… The perfect
“tunnel of trees” roadway in the fall…
All these natural and rural landscapes in our community make for some great rides. For those of us who live
here, we sometimes fail to recognize it and often take it for granted. But the truth is, we have a lot of
wonderful places here, places that are perhaps not showy or exotic, but which are wonderful and important
in their own right.
For example, we’re blessed with a string of protected lands along the Huron River and the River Raisin.
These lands have been protected thanks to the work of a wide variety of groups – the Huron Clinton
Metroparks, Washtenaw County, the cities of Ypsilanti & Ann Arbor, the Raisin Valley Land Trust, the
Washtenaw Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, and others.
Protecting these nearby places is important. These are the places where our kids can play after school or on
the weekend; where your regular rides are much more than simply routine, where you can ride, on a whim,
on some sunny Tuesday evening, should the mood strike – and the view will be fantastic, anytime you go.
9
It surprises many people to learn that more than half of the land in this community – more than 250,000
acres of land – is undeveloped. This number, impressive and substantial that it is, does not even include
already-protected natural areas or farms. That means that more than 50% of all the land here in this
community is not yet protected from development.
The story is not yet written for these lands. Over the coming years, as our population ages, many of these
lands will be changing hands. Our landscape will be at an increasing risk of becoming more fragmented.
Will these lands remain open and undeveloped? My hope, for the most important of these local places, is
that the answer will be ‘Yes.’
The Washtenaw Land Trust works hard to protect local natural areas and farms throughout Washtenaw &
Jackson counties. You enjoy these lands each time you go on a local ride. We hope you’ll join together with
us in the effort to keep your beautiful rides beautiful, today and tomorrow. To learn more, visit
www.washtenawlandtrust.org or call 734-302-5263. We look forward to hearing from you!
10
TOUR de KIDS...IT’S BACK IN 2008
By Ted Green
The Tour de Kids is back and will again feature “fun” age-specific bicycle races for children ages 3 - 12, and
a family festival on Father’s day, June 15, 2008 from 8:30AM to 4PM. In previous years (1996 to 2004) it
typically attracted 700-1000 kids plus their families; it is the biggest kids-oriented bike event in the nation.
The bike races take place on roads closed to traffic around the UM diag. Older kids race a few laps, younger
kids a few blocks. The event website is:
www.tourdekids.org
Previous AABTS board member Ted Green’s company SpamStopsHere is the title sponsor and has brought
it back from a 3-year hiatus. Proceeds will also benefit medical research at the University of Michigan.
Previously many AABTS members have helped out as volunteers on this day and made this family event
possible. The organizers are again kindly asking the AABTS membership to help out. If you can please
donate a few hours on June 15 (or the night before) contact Dawn Lovejoy (email: dblovejoy@gmail.com;
tel: 734.827.2792) or Rob Pulcipher (email: pulcipher@gmail.com; tel: 734.995.4023). All efforts will be
greatly appreciated.
WANT AD
Yakima roof top bike rack.
includes Q towers,crossbars and locks
fork mounted bike rack and canoe mounts
with clips to fit 1998 BMW
asking $190
call for further details:
Mary McKinley
734-995-5107
shredbetty61@yahoo.com
11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear AABTS,
Thank you for appreciating all the effort it takes to be a ride leader. I
enjoy it and it is nice to be rewarded.
Thanks Again,
Wendy D’Haene
Dear Editor
I just want to Thank the AABTS for the nice plant and wishes for quick
recovery. I’m doing much better than last week, but will not be completely
healed for another 7 weeks.
Thanks Again,
Cheryl Martindale.
Dear AABTS family,
Thank-you so much for your acknowledgement of the sudden, unexpected passing
of my 58 year old brother on February l4,2008.
Most of you did not know him, but he was a lifelong resident of Frains Lae(Ann
Arbor area). He and I both attended the one room Frains Lake School. He ran
his business, Old School Construction, and built his home on Frains Lake
School property. His only son, Benjamin, hopes to continue the business.
Over the years, it has been clear to me that AABTS is much more than simply a
bike club. It is a family, which supports its members, as well as the
community, in both good times and difficult times. However, I have never felt
its outreach, quite so personally, as I have in the last few weeks. Your
cards, letters, and phone calls touched me deeply. The amazing dish garden
with both fresh flowers, and lovely indoor plants which you sent was so lare
that the delivery man staggered under its weight. Your support has made this
difficult time more bearable. I am so proud to belong to the AABTS family.
Sincerely,
Linda Lutzeier
Dear Editor
I want to thank AABTS for the beautiful plant sent to me for the recent death
of my Father. The death of a one parent is never easy but now with the death
of my father, the warmth I felt from all the cards of sympathy and in-person
condolences from many members of my bike club family helped me get through a
very painful time. I thank you and am very grateful for your friendship.
Thanks,
Rita
12