2008 BOARD AND ADVISORY
MEMBERS
POSITIVE PRESS FOR GREEN BIKE LANE IN ST PETERSBURG
UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL CONNECTION TO THE SUNCOAST TRAIL NEEDS
FUNDING
TRUE FIRE SALE AT FORT MYERS SCHWINN
GAINESVILLE TRAIL CONNECTION APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AND
CABINET CORRIDOR ACQUISITION WILL PROVIDE LONG SOUGHT LINK TO CITY'S DOWNTOWN
PINK RIBBON JERSEYS AVAILABLE
UPCOMING EVENTS
AND THEN SOME
2008 BOARD AND ADVISORY MEMBERS
Last weekend, FBA Board and Advisory members were reappointed. Special thanks to
Mighk Wilson for serving 4+ years as FBA's president. Meet the 2008 slate (Go to
FBA Contacts for more information
about your board):
Board
David Henderson, President
Raphael Clemente, Vice President
Don Braverman, Secretary
Steve Diez, Treasurer
Linda Crider
Dan Moser
Mighk Wilson
Advisory
Ken Bryan
Paul Casazza
Hal Downing
Herb Hiller
Dwight Kingsbury
Henry Lawrence
George Martin
Laura Minns
Roger Pierce
Carol Pulley
Tina Russo
Robert Seidler
John Sinibaldi
Randall Williams
Are you interested in becoming a board or advisory member? If so, plan to attend
our next board meeting to be held April 11-12, 2008 in West Palm Beach.
POSITIVE PRESS FOR GREEN BIKE LANE IN ST. PETERSBURG
Our local CBS-affiliate, Channel 10, aired a great, positive segment regarding
the green bike lane in St. Petersburg this morning. Here's a link to the
article. On the right side of the page, you'll notice that the video segment of
the story has been added for viewing. You may have to copy and paste the link
into your web browser.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=72386
Cheryl N. Stacks, P.E.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
City of St. Petersburg
top
UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL CONNECTION TO THE SUNCOAST TRAIL
NEEDS FUNDING
You are needed to support the connection of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail to the
Suncoast Trail. The 7 or 8 mile gap between the Suncoast trailhead (Lutz Lake
Fern Road) and the current end of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail at Peterson Park is
unfunded at this time.
GOOD NEWS
There is a source of funding available if we voice the want and need of the
public to our public officials, NOW!
What is needed! Simple two things
*Let your county commissioners know how much you want this connection.
*Let the Parks Director, Mark Thornton know how much you want this connection.
WHY and WHAT:
There is currently $40 million available in the Community Investment Tax (CIT is
how most the current trail was built, that and grant funds). This 40 million is
going to be used for parks, but the current talk is it is going to athletic
fields, and none to trails. Phase IV has already been through several phases of
development. None of these "athletic fields" are designed or know where they
will be built, or could be built. We only want a portion of the 40 millon. The
Parks department did a county wide survey and the number one request was for
trails! We need to show it!
SO if you want to see the connection of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail to the
Suncoast completed, you must let the public officials know what you WANT!
HOW:
Call, write, email, Mr. Mark Thornton, and voice your want/desire for the
connection of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, with the current funding coming
available to parks.
Call, write, email, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, and
voice your want/desire for the connection of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, with the
current funding coming available to parks. All the information you need to
contact these officials is on
Hillsboroughcounty.org. If you need any more information you can contact me.
PLEASE FORWARD TO ANYONE WHO YOU THINK CARES
Just remember what Margaret Meade said:
"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the
only thing that ever has."
Tina A Russo, Cyclist
813-887-5616
tarusso@aol.com
top
TRUE FIRE SALE AT FORT MYERS SCHWINN
FBA supporter and the best local bike shop in Fort Myers (in my opinion), Fort
Myers Schwinn, had a fire New Year's Eve. Fortunately it was extinguished
quickly (a Coke machine in the front of the store was the cause) but they
experienced heavy smoke damage. Owners Mike and Diane have good insurance but
they'll be unable to operate in the store for about two weeks and they're not
sure how much damage to their inventory there will end up being (their initial
assessment is that they'll have a true "fire sale" that will likely mean great
deals on Schwinns, Treks, and Specialized bikes). They're currently working out
of a tent in their parking lot but don't know if the City will allow that to
continue long enough for them to get back indoors.
Dan Moser, FBA Board member
Lee County Dept of Health Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Educator
Fort Myers
GAINESVILLE TRAIL CONNECTION APPROVED BY GOVERNOR
AND CABINET
CORRIDOR ACQUISITION WILL PROVIDE LONG SOUGHT LINK TO CITY'S DOWNTOWN
Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet recently gave unanimous approval
to the State purchase of a key 2.3-mile trail connection in downtown
Gainesville. Because of its tremendous potential as a recreational trail, as
well as its connections to existing trails, this corridor has been a priority
acquisition for both the City of Gainesville and the Florida Office of Greenways
and Trails (OGT) for over a decade. The trail along 6th street will connect
downtown Gainesville with employment centers, neighborhoods, and the University
of Florida.
"This trail connects people to each other and to the places they live, and we
are proud to be a part of the network of partners who brought
this important project to fruition," said Jena Brooks, director of the Florida
Office of Greenways and Trails.
For more information, please contact Anne Nelson at (850) 222-7911, Ext. 18 or
Anne.Nelson@tpl.org. Thanks to everyone
for all of the hard work. We are happy to assist the City of Gainesville and
Alachua County pursue a connected system of greenways & trails.
Robin Turner, Regional Coordinator
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Greenways and Trails
robin.turner@dep.state.fl.us
Visit the web:
www.FloridaGreenwaysAndTrails.com
top
PINK RIBBON JERSEYS AVAILABLE
Anyone interested in a beautiful Pink Ribbon jersey
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=pdsy323.4hp1yd6n&x=0&y=f6xu15 should
contact me directly at: bnbbarb@aol.com or
phone 352-377-4427. The jerseys, which tend to run one size small, are $65,
including $10 donation to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. This project
started because as a breast cancer survivor, I wanted a pink ribbon jersey for
myself.......and now I am continuing so we can make donations from the jersey
sales to the foundation. I have to get at LEAST 12 of every item to place an
order for:
men's short sleeved jerseys
women's sleeveless jerseys
women's shorts
unisex gloves
Once the order is placed, it takes about 7 weeks. If you need more background
info, let me know.
Barb Thomas
Breast Cancer Survivor
Gainesville
UPCOMING EVENTS
Are you looking for an eco-friendly vacation Spring 2008? Check out the
following events for a week of big fun. The events are NOT connected and run by
separate organizations, but Florida Bicycle Association gives both events a big
thumbs up!
Bike Florida Trail Link 2008 - March 30-April 4
Bike Florida "Trail Link" 2008 is a linear ride starting in beautiful Clearwater
and ending at enchanting Fanning Springs. We will use rural roads to link
together the trails of Florida's Gulf Coast including the Pinellas Trail,
Suncoast Parkway Trail, Withlacoochee Trail, Withlacoochee Bay Trail, and Nature
Coast Trail. We will leave cars and cares behind as we pack bikes and luggage on
trucks in Fanning Springs (Sunday, March 30), then board buses for Clearwater's
Ross Norton Park. (Note: No cars can be left in Clearwater for the week because
there are no return buses and there is no secured week-long parking in
Clearwater). From there the run begins as we tour Clearwater, St. Petersburg,
Tarpon Springs, Inverness, Dunnellon and Fanning Springs. For more information,
visit www.bikeflorida.org.
Paddle Florida - March 20-27, 2008
Get Down on the Suwannee River and Go with the Flow! Come join the fun on the
inaugural Paddle Florida covering 123 miles of the scenic Suwannee River
Wilderness Trail. The seven-day paddlefest launches from the Spirit of the
Suwannee Music Park and finishes at beautiful Manatee Springs State Park. As
many as 300 paddlers will be going with the flow averaging 18 miles per day and
camping on the banks of Florida's beautiful Suwannee River. Paddle Florida is
held in cooperation with the Florida Park Service and the Suwannee River Water
Management District. Experience a week of camaraderie and the thrill of paddling
a Florida gem. For more information, visit
www.paddleflorida.org.
And if you want to visit Georgia, check out the following events organized by
the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) folks:
BICYCLE RIDE ACROSS GEORGIA - Annual BRAG ride across Georgia, Oxford to
St. Simons Island - June 7-14, 2008. Spring Tune-Up Ride, Madison, GA, April
18-20, 2008. Great fun for families and groups. Higher mileage options
available. Contact info@brag.org,
770-498-5153 or www.brag.org.
SummerRide, Jasper, GA, August, 2008
Bike Atlanta, Downtown Atlanta, September 13, 2008
Georgia BikeFest, LaGrange, GA, October 10-12, 2008
top
AND THEN SOME
"It is a happy talent to know how to play." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your
intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll
discover is yourself." -Alan Alda
"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific
accomplishments fade to trivia." -Charles A. Lindbergh
"Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as
to the body." -Joseph Addison
"We drink to one another's health and spoil our own." -Jerome K. Jerome
"Be careful when reading health books; you may die of a misprint." -Mark Twain
Quick Links...
Our Website
Pro Bike Pro
Walk Florida
Share the Road
Bike Florida
Contact Information
phone: 352-468-3430
top