Ride of Silence 2011 - Spring Lake

This year's local Ride of Silence was held in Spring Lake. Last year they had 86 cyclists. I think they had close to that this year, however the cool cloudy weather may have prevented some from coming out.

Roger's new bike

I finally bought a road bike! I hadn't planned on buying a new bike this year, let alone a road bike. However, a deal came up that too good to pass up. My friend, Dave, from Lincoln, had purchased a new Specialized Roubaix last year, and he had too many bikes now. I was preparing Gayle for a purchase of a new road bike possibly in 2012. Dave made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. Now I am the proud owner of a 2008 Trek 2.3 - with Mavic rims and Cane Creek brakes! Now all I have to do is figure out how to shift the other direction! ;-)

Ride to Grand Haven boardwalk

I took a nice ride into Grand Haven on Saturday afternoon. Temperature was a balmy 50 degrees! Checked out the progress of reinforcing the sea wall on the boardwalk (top photo). Hope they get this finished before tourist season! Also checked out the sand coverage on the sidewalks near the State Park. Also hope they get this cleared by tourist season. I expect that we will see the bobcats and front end loaders out moving sand soon. Too bad they don't have a snow-blower that also blows sand too. I know some houses near the north pier that could use this. The winter winds blow the sand in from Lake Michigan and it really makes a mess.

March ride on Harbor Island

I haven't been uploading photos much recently. Here is one from a ride I took on Sunday, March 13. Temperatures were still around 39-40 degrees, and as you can see, there was still snow along many of the roads. This shot was taken near the parking area on Harbor Island. There were a few other brave souls out flying a kite that day, one of the warmest weekends since Dec. 31.

Ride for Haiti 2011

One of the things that I am working on right now is this year's Ride for Haiti. The Ride for Haiti is in it's third year. The first year, Pastor Rob Nystrom from Battle Creek cycled around lake Michigan by himself. Last year, 7 cyclists from the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church cycled approximately 400 miles in 6 days from the Indiana-Michigan border to Mackinac City, raising over $18,000 for Haiti mission projects. This year we are planning to open up registration to up to 50 cyclists from across Michigan and the midwest. These cyclists will be soliciting pledges from other church members and friends before and during the ride and hope to raise at least $20,000 for 2 Haiti mission projects. The projects this year include HAPI – Haiti Artisans for Peace International, and the Methodist Children’s Orphanage in Port-au-Prince. Pledges will be divided evenly between these two.

For more information or to register, please visit our web site: Haitiride.org

Kent County accepts $150,000 grant for trail connector

Kent County has decided to accept a $150,000 state grant to pay for design of a controversial recreational trail connector. However, some county leaders say the proposed path steps on the toes of neighboring Ottawa County and treads on Michigan’s second-largest industry.

After postponing action last month, the county’s Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved Michigan Department of Natural Resources funding to support a $2.5 million link between the state-owned White Pine and Musketawa trails. The project has sparked debate because a targeted route runs through an Ottawa County farmer’s cattle-feeding operation.

The proposed nine-mile connection along a section of an old railroad line would run through land used by Wright Township farmer John Triick, whose family claims it would split its farm and endanger its business.

See the entire article here.

Berry Junction Trail contract awarded Thursday!

After several years of disappointments, expiring grants and a parade of township officials come-and-gone fighting to make the project happen, bids to construct the Fred Meijer/Berry Junction Bike Trail are set to be awarded this coming Thursday, March 3.

The six-mile stretch of bike trail, running from White Lake Drive to Dalton Township’s Beegle Field on Tyler Road and following the former C & O railroad bed, is expected to cost $1.1 million. Coupled with a $9,500 investment by Dalton and Fruitland townships, the project is also being funded by a crazy-quilt of sources, including a half-million dollar federal grant, a near-matching grant from the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, and a $90,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

“We’re still shooting for a July completion date,” said Fruitland Township Supervisor Sam St. Amour, who sits on the Fred Meijer/Berry Junction Bike Trail board. The board is headed by Dalton Township Supervisor Chris Hall. The project was initiated by former Dalton Township Supervisor Scott Hladki, who also was committee chair of the Berry Junction board.

For more info, see the newspaper article.