Why so tired? Well, Larry Goldstein (on the far side of the bed) has just finished co-directing the 2010 Durango Fall Blaze with his wife Jana - who is undoubtedly still hard at work when this photo was taken. The Fall Blaze is a fundraising century ride to benefit the Fort Lewis College Cycling Scholarship Fund, and this year they raised a record total of over $40,000. So, a doff of our cycling caps to both Larry and Jana Goldstein for putting on a great event for a worthy cause.
Rachel Bauske, project manager for the shelter, said about 80 percent of the shelter's residents arrive with no form of transportation. The shelter has a handful of bicycles it loans, though several have fallen into disrepair.
"Durango Transit will help us out by giving us a bus pass, but that's just a bus pass for one person when we have up to 35 people staying here," Bauske said. "Although we work closely with community partners, getting bikes is crucial for our residents because that may be their only means of transportation at times."
Wanting to help, Bicycle Lemonade volunteer Russell Zimmermann approached Bauske about holding an event at the shelter to not only give away bikes but also repair the shelter's current bicycle fleet. Bauske agreed.
On Sunday morning, the all-volunteer Bicycle Lemonade crew arrived at the shelter with two pickup loads of bicycles and the parts and tools needed to make them work. Residents at the shelter each picked out a bike and then assisted in repairing it.
"We try to meet the person who's the prospective new owner of the bicycle before we start fixing it and make them part of the process," Zimmermann said. "Even if they're not a bike mechanic, maybe they can learn to patch a tube or oil a chain properly or something like that."
Bicycle Lemonade volunteer Jon Bailey said the work new bike owners put into their bikes makes them inherently more valuable.
"The value is created through the sweat equity that you put into it," he said. "This way, you're putting in time and learning something, and you're pumped."
The group's primary purpose is to rescue bikes from ending up in landfills. Donated bikes are fixed and given away, not sold. Money has been completely removed from the equation.
"The only way this happens is the community donates their bikes, donates the space, donates the time and then donates the bikes back to the community," Bailey said.
The group currently operates via booths set up at local events with information about dates and times spread primarily by word of mouth. Bicycle Lemonade is looking for someone who will donate space it can use as a base of operations, where someone who needs a bike can get one.
"Right now, bikes aren't an issue for us, it's having a workable spot to invite the public so we don't have to go somewhere and set up every time," Bailey said.
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Durango, CO – The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, September 3, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. for the grand opening of County Road 210. This ceremony will be held at the east end of County Road 210 near the intersection with County Road 212 (Smelter Mountain Road) for the opening of the new road alignment that connects Camino del Rio (Highway 550/160) to County Road 141 (Wildcat Canyon Road).
To allow the public full enjoyment of the new road, La Plata County will be opening County Road 210 at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 3, 2010 for pedestrians and bicyclists to “Walk and Roll” on the new road without motorized traffic. The surface has been chipped and sealed, so it is most suitable for mountain bikes and walking. (It is not suitable for rollerblades or skateboards.) Citizens are reminded to stay on the road and not to trespass onto Bureau of Reclamation property, as Lake Nighthorse and the adjoining properties are closed to the public at this time.
The existing road from Camino del Rio to County Road 212 (previously known as County Road 211) and the new alignment was renamed County Road 210 on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners. The historic west end of County Road 211 that now dead-ends in the Trappers Crossing subdivision will retain the County Road 211 designation.
For additional information, please contact Jim Davis at the La Plata County Department of Public Works at 970-382-6363 or e-mail davisja@co.laplata.co.us.
