evening, folks. with the help of the polk county juvenile drug court,
we've come up with a pretty swell idea to accomplish a number of things:
1--get some "on the edge" kids on bikes doing positive things;
2--get some widely available community service hours directed toward
things bike-related;
3--redirect potential bike-haters into becoming bicycle riders and
lovers;
4--help keep area bike trails clean and open instead of waiting for
the appropriate governing body to come out and do it;
5--save the county some money--and the environmental pollution--by
switching a current program from "auto-bound" to "bicycle driven."

and there are so MANY other reasons why this is good, and why this
will be a great pilot project for other parts of the state, for juvenile AND
adult offenders, AND for helping to keep trails clear of debris and other
crap [i envision this as a year-round project, with snow and ice control and
removal on the winter agenda].

the juvenile court judge in charge of juvenile drug court is solidly
and enthusiastically behind this program, "the trail restoration project,"
and they have authorized expenditure of a small amount of very limited
funds.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.

area bike shops have endorsed this by donating some helmets and bikes.
donated shovels and hand saws have been lined up, along with some gloves
and trash bags.
but we need the following:
a--a bob-type trailer to haul this stuff around.
b--perhaps three more bikes [any style or size--we aim to have six to
start with, and will fit them with quick-release seat post clamps].
c--other hand tools for tree branch removal and other such labors.
d--money never hurts to acquire other things that will come up as the
project gets going.

the des moines bike collective is going to donate some bikes, too, and
will maintain them. the bikes and all equipment will be stored at the new
polk county office building located in the old target building on euclid
avenue, which is located adjacent to two major trails: the hard-surface
neal smith trail and the delightful and often muddy sycamore trail network.
this group already is responsible for doing some weekly clean up at
jester park, with is also accessible by the neal smith trail. from this
vantage, the group will have access and will regularly ride and restore all the
hard-surfaced trails in the des moines metro area.
ALL cyclists who ride trails will benefit from cleaner and safer
trails; won't you be willing to chip in a little bit to help make it possible?

if you have any of these items laying around, PLEASE consider donating
them to the des moines bike collective for use by the trail restoration
project. the collective is a 501c[3] non-profit, and i will happily give you
a receipt for any and all contributions you make.
this is one of the coolest ideas yet that we've come up with, and i am
quite excited to make this thing happen as soon as possible. jason
henner, the juvenile probation officer who will be in charge of the project
reports that his group went out today--on foot--and did some garbage pickup on
the trail next to the building.
everyone is very excited about this project.
so if you--or the business you work for--is interested in helping,
either a one-time or an underwriting-type sponsorship, PLEASE let me know as
soon as you can.
thanks so much!!
--kim


--the mostly reverend grandpa kim
urging you to listen weekly to
"the kim west radio cycling show"
on des moines' sport station, 1460 kxno,
& streaming worldwide at kxno.com
**************Looking for love this summer? Find it now on AOL Personals.
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