The ears are where its at!

Last Saturday’s Egg-mazing Bike Race was a huge personal success for me, the pink bunny, even if those pesky white eared rabbits made away with the first prize.  But my 2nd place win really was a team effort and I want to thank everyone for their hardwork, passion, time, and energy – all the things that went into making me a 2nd place champion scavenger hunt winner!   To retrace, my team really threw down the gauntlet in the first stretch of the race, pushing out in front of the pack, quickly capturing the first point by  translating that crazy Portuguese phrase, something about a billion chickens or something.  The next clue was at Newark’s swanky condo residences converted from an old chocolate factory, where we had to munch on the chocolate clue before getting our point.  We almost took the lead then, but again, those pesky weirdo bunnies were able to pull ahead, but at least we were able to fly by last year’s winner, Matt (above), who really miscalculated not only the quality of his ride but also his ears, or general lack thereof!

From there it was on to Riverbank Park where the awesome pit crew helped us prove our agility in deflating and pumping our tires.  Little did we know, our biggest challenge awaited us. We rode over to the waterfront and quickly found the clue on the Newark sign (right), telling us to look for our points near a water source so we went to the river, but……nothing, we spent precious time searching for what turned out to be a non-existant missing clue!

So we quickly headed out to the next bonus point and attempted to get the rest of the group off our trail, but they were too rascally and so together we journeyed into the industrial yards of the Ironbound where the future 3rd place winner, Margarita (left), started to catch up to us.  From there, it was a long strenuous ride over to the Ironbound Recreation Center where an awesome actual real life soccer coach helped us get the soccer ball in the net, gooooooallll!

See below as the white eared rabbits angrily looked on as I stepped up to make my goal.

After a treking way out to Avenue P by the I/9 and route 95 (as if we were going to Jersey City) to nab a few more bonus points, we took a turn at the bike waterfall, where one of the race creator’s, Ryan, helped us cool off with some bike water blessings.  Allison (below), a key team member, happily uses her own pedal power  to make the water fall (almost a pun).

We headed over to Independence Park for the next set of clues and obstacles, and discovered that it was opportunity for us to show off our true colors, pink! “What costume?  I came this way!”

The day was still not over and we had one final treat to eat at Ce Qui Sabe.  Proof of  just how delicious it was can be seen below by how vigorously  our photographer volunteer & BCBC member, Tim, chows down it, even though he wasn’t even competing!

We had precious little time before points would start to be deducted from our final score if we arrived late, so instead of riding to south street and scrambling to get the last bonus point, we decided to book it to the finish and try to arrive first with the most points.  But we were too late!  The rascally (one might suspect, cheating) rabbits had managed to sneak around us and make it to the finish line.

Next time you silly rabbits, next time!

See as I kick the people behind me's butts

And of course much thanks to Marie, Zoe and Councilmember “Augie” Amador.

Without you, my historic 2nd place would would never have been possible!

Dear Mayor McDonough,

I am writing as a concerned resident of Harrison and as a member of the Brick City Bike Collective. I have lived in Harrison since May of 2006 and commute to work in New York City on the PATH. I plan on making Harrison my home for some time to come. In considering this investment, I write to ask for the incorporation of bicycle transportation in the town’s street plans.

One of the principal reasons I and others choose to reside in Harrison is the convenient access to public transportation to New York City. Biking from my home to the PATH station is an affordable and a quick way to cut down on my commute time and cost.

In the refurbishment of downtown Harrison, the creation of viable bike paths along main roads in town would encourage and facilitate bike use. Encouraging bike use is important as it is a form of transportation that cuts harmful emissions and helps to reduce vehicle congestion. Bike friendly policies and projects would benefit an ever expanding community and attract new residents as well as investors. Many people are becoming aware that biking is a great way to become intimate with a town and get exercise at the same time. In fact, Frank Rodgers Blvd in Harrison is already home to a portion of the East Coast Greenway, a bikeway running from Maine to Florida.

In addition to dedicated bike lanes, bike racks should be placed in well-lit, heavily trafficked areas, especially at the PATH. The sidewalk rails – currently used as an impromptu bike rack – do not provide enough space for the current bike commuters. Furthermore, some type of surveillance would be appropriate in the area around the PATH, to discourage bicycle theft and to increase public safety.

Adding bike paths and bike racks would make getting around town easier and more convenient and would in turn make Harrison a more attractive place for many commuters to call home. People would be encouraged to bike around town rather than drive and would increase foot traffic at local businesses. Bike friendliness is a major indicator of a town’s quality of life. The town of Harrison is at a crossroad in its development and has the potential to be a place where people feel safe and comfortable riding bikes for fun, fitness and transportation.

I hope that while redevelopment plans are in the works, current issues and needs will not take a back seat. We must take action now to improve the lives of town residents and to ensure future generations’ well-being. I applaud the Town of Harrison on several fronts and realize the tasks set before you are not easy to complete, but with diligence and planning, achievable.

Thank You,

Yarrow Willman-Cole

Advocacy Committee, Brick City Bike Collective

http://www.bikebrickcity.org

(thanks to Kyle and Monica for editing assistance )

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