Back to School - August 30 Update

Another month has gone by already since the last post. Although things have been quiet on this blog, they've been very busy in the real world. We are in a critical time for any organization when the novelty has worn off, volunteers are called to other worthy groups and students from last year have graduated. It's time to stir up some enthusiasm that will bring in new volunteers, donations and ideas. These things have been trickling in up til now, we could use a flood of all three. Here's what's been happening that can help us.....

In June we shipped 160 bikes to Working Bikes in Chicago. Some were sold to pay for shipping, the rest were shipped to various needy countries worldwide for basic transportation.

In August we finalized our design for a bike generator, and came up with new ideas to use the energy (pumping, grinding, lifting). We have the materials to make a bunch of prototypes, all we need are the volunteers to put them together.

Last Friday and Saturday we supported the Sprint, Splash and Spin mini-triathlon with free bike inspections. We prevented a couple of certain accidents and made the ride more enjoyable (just by pumping up tires and oiling chains mostly) for everyone involved.

Last nite was the inaugural meeting of the Morgantown Bike Board. This board has been convened through the terrific efforts of Suncrest Councilman Don Spencer and is looking for ways to serve Morgantown's pedestrians and cyclists with better transportation corridors, education and advocacy. If you have ideas for the board contact a member via Don.

Tonite we were invited by Tau Beta Pi to share a table at the WVU freshman Engineering fair where we talked about our cooperative Christmas Bike Project. It was a great chance to meet new students who are interested in helping out in the community and learning about sustainable transportation.

We want to reach out in the non-university community as well. It's time to get going on Safe routes to schools but we need a parent volunteer in each school to act as the sparkplug. We can always use more volunteers for collecting and repairing bikes or doing office work around the shop.

We have new business cards and flyers in the shop. If there's a place where you can distribute them please come and get 'em. I can't tell you how many people have told me what a great idea this organization is, but volunteers that put the idea into action and we need more of you.

Thanks.
Nick Hein
Director, Positive Spin
Morgantown, WV

Summer time at Positive Spin

OK, so it's been 2 months now since the last update. Our bikes were well received in Chicago, some were sold at Working Bikes' retail shop to pay for our trip. The rest went all over the country and the world to help most where they would work best. Mountain bikes went to Guatemala, 26" bikes went to Cuba, street bikes went to Ghana. Working Bikes, founded and led by Lee Ravenscroft, does magnificent work in arranging the shipments. They also collect and warehouse most of the bikes themselves, as well as raising money for the shipments by fixing and selling recycled bikes. We're very lucky to be connected with them.

We would like to work further with them on other projects. Of the world's 6 billion people, 4 billion don't have electricity. We've come up with a simple design for a pedaled generator that could bring electricity to remote villages using bike frames and other salvaged parts would otherwise be thrown away.

We are also gearing up to get "Safe Routes to Schools" programs started in Morgantown. We would like to contact at least one parent in each Morgantown school and provide them with the organizing literature and support to teach and inspire kids to get to school under their own power, with the resulting benefits to personal and community health that can result.

All this depends on volunteers however. Now that a new school year is approaching please consider whether you can help us with a donation of bikes, funds or your time to support Morgantown citizens who bike and walk to make the town a better place for people. See the website at www.positivespin.org for all the ways you can help.