Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 3, 2001
Re: Bicycle club donates three new bikes, helmets for kids, Dec. 24.
Thanks for the article! After reading it, I went bicycling on the club's traditional Sunday ride. At breakfast, I bought a second newspaper and passed it around. (During each Saturday and Sunday ride, we go to local restaurants for breakfast.) Some club members hadn't heard the whole story yet. You should have seen the smiling faces. Because of your article, more club members volunteered to repair bikes for the Marines' future Bikes for Tykes drives.
We would love to have more people ride with us. Yes, we have fast rides for our state, national and world-class bicyclists, but we also have rides for beginners and average riders.
Our Family Ride Group travels at 7 to 10 mph for 6 miles; the Daisy Pickers travel at 14 to 16 mph for 16 miles.
Don't let cold weather stop you. Balaclavas, skull caps, windbreakers and insulated gloves fend off the cold. Put plastic grocery bags inside the legs of your tights.
On Saturdays, all ride groups meet at the North Shore Pool parking lot between the pool and the softball field. Bring your mountain bike, road bike, hand cycle, tandem or recumbent. Bring your water bottle. Helmets are mandatory for all ages. We begin gathering at 8 a.m. and take off at 8:30. When you come, tell someone it's your first time. We'll find a group to fit you.
-- Kimberly Cooper, newsletter editor St. Petersburg Bicycle Club Inc.
Losing City hall project would be tragic
Re: St. Pete Beach sees city hall deal grow shaky, Dec. 27.
An old adage says that no good deed goes unpunished, and it seems appropriate for this article. Developer Paul Skipper and his firm made a good and fair business offer to build a new city hall in St. Pete Beach. The commission and the advisory committee have worked long and hard to bring this project to our city.
It would be a tragedy not to attempt to salvage this project. If all sides concerned could sit down and communicate, leaving their egos at the front door, a positive result would benefit our entire community.
It is unfortunate that a small minority in this community says no to everything positive and offers no solutions to resolve their problems. "Just say no" appears to be their slogan.
Robert G. Mariner, St. Pete Beach