Newsletter Page 1

February 2006

Click here if you want to download the February pdf (Adobe Acrobat version) of the Newsletter

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B.I.K.E.S. Next Meeting, Thursday, February 9, 2006

From the President

Club Meeting 7 p.m. Feb. 9, PUD,
2320 California, Everett

After a brief program by the manager of the Silver Lake Bicycle Centres, this meeting will pretty much be about the McClinchy Mile Ride.

Come find out how you can volunteer to help on March 11 and earn yourself a free shirt! Shifts are designed so you can both work and ride that day.

We’ll also discuss club name ideas for our special meeting on March 11.

Some club members gather for a “Meeting Before the Meeting” to enjoy dinner together around 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. This month’s dinner will be at Papi’s Pizza, 1816 Hewitt Ave, southwest corner of Oakes and Hewitt.

Upcoming Events

Seattle Bike Expo, Feb. 18-19, Magnuson Park

Seattle Bike Swamp, Feb. 19, Magnuson Park

Olympic Cycling Classic May 20, Port Angeles, www.olybikeride.com

Lance Armstrong Foundation Ride for the Roses Sept. 24, Portland, Ore. www.livestrongride.com

Got a Pet Peeve?

If you see a road hazard for cyclists you’d like to report to the proper authorities, start with www.bikewatch.org. It’s a new website set up to report problems in Washington State.

Club News

Club Name Change March 11

A special club meeting will be held at 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 11 in Arlington to vote on a new name or retain the old. This is our traditional post-McClinchy meal, so we hope volunteers, riders and members at large will attend. We need a quorum of at least 15% of club membership to make any changes to our Articles of Incorporation.

At our February meeting we will take “nominations” for the top two or three name ideas which will be listed in the March newsletter. We may also have some minor updates to our Articles to propose at that time.

Full information on meeting location will be in the March newsletter and on our website. Here a few last comments from the peanut gallery:

Mke Dahlstrom: I vote for “Snohomish County Bicycling Club”, or “Cycling” club. Using the Bikes still can be confused with motor cycles.

Susan Moore: I think your newsletter states the obvious choice for a change of name for
your club: Just call yourselves the "CHAINWHEELS" As in "Snohomish
County CHAINWHEELS Bicycle Club: Cyclists dedicated to the casual pursuit of great chow,
chatter and the challenge of the country road.”

We’ll be continuing this fun tradition in 2006, with new prizes, a new Miles Coordinator and perhaps some new categories. Watch for more – and join us on a ride sometime!

Click here to view Other Club Rides
(soon to be updated)

Update on 124^th Street Overpass

Work is visible on the new bike-pedestrian overpass of I-5 north of 128^th Street in Everett. The overpass has long been a planned improvement to the Interurban Trail, and is now a Dept. of Transportation project. Unfortunately, when the overpass is done this summer, it may be a trail to nowhere. The DOT has not been able to negotiate with a property owner on the east side of I-5 to allow a trail across his property which would connect with the next section of the Interurban.

However, that property owner now would like to develop his land, so Snohomish County is working to negotiate the trail as part of the development plan. Note that the state Attorney General’s Office has expressed the legal opinion that bike-ped trails are not eligible for “eminent domain” proceedings, meaning the property can’t be “condemned” for the public good unlike land needed for a road widening or public facility.

Ride leaders take note!

John Carlin is the new Miles Coordinator.
Please send him your ride miles effective Dec. 11, 2005 through Holiday Party 2006.
Contact info: johnecarlin@comcast.net, 425-778-4529
The signed ride sheets still go to Kristin for club record-keeping.