On.

y,_ NEWSLETTER

Tacoma Wheelmen’s

Bicycle Club

P.O. Box 112078*TACOMA, WA 98411
RIDELINE (206) 759-2800

Inside This Issue:

July ride calendar on
pages 2 & 3—Joyful
Cycling.

Ride Reports on pages
485.

Governmental Affairs
and a Ride Alert on
page 6.

Trek Washington
Report on page 9.

Picnic registration
Jorm on page 9.

July Board Meeting:

The July Board meet- ing will be at Carla Gramlich's home, 3218 N. 28th, Tacoma, WA., on July 5th at 7:00 p.m. All members are welcome.

No Club meetings in
July 8& August. The
next TWBC meeting is
September 20, 1994.

Kent Wienker Is New

TWEC President

After our secretary provided printed ballots,
TWBC members elected Kent Wienker presi-
dent for 1994-95 by a unanimous voice vote at
the June Annual Meeting.

Also elected by the same vote were: Secre- tary, Dena Wessels; Treasurer, Hazel Giddings; Touring Captains, Matt and Connie Reitzug; Newsletter Editor, William Hoehne; and Director of Community and Government Relations, Bob Myrick. As per the Club by- laws, Carla Gramlich will serve on the new Board as past president.

Positions left empty at the present time are
Vice-President and Director of Special Events.
The Board would like to fill these positions
quickly. Any members interested are asked to
speak up.

Kent served as Vice-President this last year, and was chairperson for the Peninsula Metric Century, which had a record number of riders. He has also contributed to the Club in many ways over his years as a member. Con- gratulations to him and the other Board Mem- bers!

Picnic Plans
by Peggy Fjetland

If you are interested in helping with the annual TWBC picnic, plan on attending a meeting Tuesday, July 19, 1994, at 7:00 p.m., at Peggy Fjetland's home, 11710-80th Avenue East, Puyallup, WA (on South Hill not far from the Mall). Call 841-4458 for more specific directions.

Day, place, and time for the picnic have been
set—Sunday, September 11, 1994, Wapato
Park, at 12:00 noon.

At the planning meeting we will work on
menu, activities, etc.

A registration form for the picnic is provided on the inside back page of this Newsletter. If you do not fill this out and send it in, your bicycle tires will be flat for the season.

Page One

Founded In 1888

City Of Destiny
Helmet Up Or Pay

by Judy Wagonfeld

Breathlessly awaiting the Tacoma City Council's helmet law proposition vote on May 17, we endured proclamations, sidewalk repair resolutions, variances, and a horrifying oil truck fire video. Fortunately, helmets” preceded the lengthy fireworks ban discussion ” which followed us on the docket.

Encouraged that five of nine council mem-
bers sponsored the proposed law, we felt
secure in our plan of handouts and testimo-
nies, we being Helmets On Wheels, a coalition
of organizations and folks obsessed with
bicycles and safety.

Opening with a bang for bicycles, the council
proclaimed Carless Commute Week. Carla
Gramlich, decked out in bicycling regalia and
sturdy helmet, presented the proclamation as
Mayor Moss hit the gavel.

The helmet ordinance itself, presented by a city lawyer, proceeded with less force. Lengthy ramblings on discretionary versus mandatory ticketing and liability ensued, plodding tediously, like a boring graduation exercise, onto parental responsibility, private versus public property, and helmet cost, Carla distributed succinct packets, reassuring mem- bers concerning coupons and low cost.

Mayor Moss transferred the proposal to a
later date, but heard testimony that evening.
Health workers and bicyclists spoke of statis-
tics, safety standards, medical problems and

(Continued on page 8)

July, 1994

TWBC RIDE CALENDAR FOR JULY 1 to AUGUST 7, 1994 Questions about rides or activities? Call the leader!

Fri-Mon
7/1-4

Call The Ride Leader -| 4th Of July Weekend

in Victoria, B.C.

Phil Burgess
884-5465

3or4
day trip -

Sat7/2 | 9:30 AM 40 Ft. Dent Park Ballard Locks Louis Boitano
1-405 Exit #1 Picnic lunch at the 922-6156
Turn North. locks.
AM 30++ Call The Ride Leader | Tuesday Ride 3 | Louis Boitano
922-6156
Carol Rushton
| Z| 537-3888
After ae 30-35 | Call Ride Line or Joyful Cycling 1 3 Joyce Clifford
5:00 PM Leader. | 759-2393
7:00 PM Carla Gramlich’s TWEC Board eB Carla Gramlich
home, 3218 N. 28th Meeting. 752-4038
Street, Tacoma, WA
a Thur 6:45 PM 15 nies Exit 1-5 | Tour de Ft. Lewis 1 Joy Roelofsz
oie Thursday Night Ride L 847-1843
Sat 7/9 | 7:00 AM 2 130 Eatonville—Tall Packwood—Paradise 4 Brian Wester
| Timbers Cafe. el 862-3288
Sat7/9 | 7:00 AM eS 75 McDonald’s, West- Vashon—Fauntleroy 3 Greg Torfin
gate, N. 2st & Pearl. a: — 537-5823
Sun 8:00 AM 12,30, | Puyallup Fairgrounds | Tour de Pierce All Mike Dobb
7/10 45. | 593-4176
Tues ie After 30-35 | Call Ride Line or Joyful Cycling =| 3 Joyce Clifford
7/12 5:00 PM Leader. a) 759-2393
6:00 PM 10 | Fox Steilacoom Park | Mountain Bike Kent Wienker
| 474-9395
10-12 | McDonald’s, 40th & | Thursday Night Ride 1 Bob Fleming-Jones
Bridgeport Way. 565-7285
Sat 7/16 105 Safeway, Rt. 410, =| Enumclaw to Sun- 4 Brian Wester
Enumclaw. rise. 862-3288
Sat 7/16 76 i. WA ge challenging 4 No leader. Call Bob
hills. Myrick (473-7455) for
| =| I- map.
40 UPS, N. 11th & Little Park for break- 2 | Phillip Burgess
Union. fast. 884-5465
72 Randle, WA Mt. St. Helens Vol- 4 Kent Wienker
cano. 474-9395

(TWBC Ride Calendar continues on page 3)

TWBC NEWSLETTER Page Two July, 1994

(TWBC Ride Calendar continued from page 2)

Call Ride Line or
Leader.

11710 80th Ave E,
Puyallup.

Joyful Cycling

Joyce Clifford
759-2393

Picnic Planning
Meeting.

Tacoma Commun-
ity College.

Thursday Night Ride

Peggy Fjetland
841-4458
Phillip Burgess
884-5465

Sun 7/24 McDonald’s, West-
gate, N. 21st &
Pearl.

Tues Call The Ride

7/26 Leader.

Decide To Ride.
Call The Ride Line.
759-2800

No leader.

Tuesday Ride.

Call Ride Line or
Leader.

Joyful Cycling

UPS Fieldhouse
N. 11th & Union.

Thursday Night Ride

UPS Fieldhouse
N. 11th & Union.

Peggy's, Freight-
house Square.
Puyallup Farmer's
Market.

Louis Boitano 922-6156
Carol Rushton 537-3888
Joyce Clifford

759-2393,

Steve & Phyllis Lay
759-1816

Steve & Phyllis Lay
759-1816

McDonald’s, West-
gate, N. 21st &
Pearl.

Tues 8/2 Call The Ride

Leader.

Decide To Ride.
Call The Ride Line.
759-2800

Tuesday Ride.

No Leader.

Louis Boitano 922-6156
Carol Rushton 537-3888

Tues 8/2 Call Ride Line or «

Leader.

Joyful Cycling

Call The Ride Line.
759-2800

Thursday Night Ride

Marysville, WA

14th Annual
T.O.S.R.V.

Joyce Clifford
759-2393

Call The Ride Line.
759-2800

Ride Code Definitions (See column six in ride calendar): 1.Easy pace—frequent stops to catch-up and re-group. 10-13
mph. 2. Moderate pace—occasional stops to catch-up and re-group. 13-16 mph. 3. Steady pace—limited stops. Cue
sheets or map provided. 13-16 mph. 4. Fast pace—very limited stops. Cue sheets or map provided. 16+mph. Maps
provided for all rides over 35 miles.

For More Information About Rides, Call The Ride Line At 759-2800. (To record
your message on the ride line without waiting for the other messages to play, press the *
button on a touch tone phone.)

Wear A Helmet, And Carry Repair Items And First Aid Supplies On Your
Ride!

Ride Notes:

Tour de Pierce, 1994: Sunday, July 10, 1994, is the date for the Tour de Pierce, the annual family bicycle ride in Pierce County. Start point is the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. The course will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and includes 12, 30, and 45 mile routes through Puyallup, Fife, Sumner, and adjacent farmlands.

TWBC volunteers are needed for jobs including, but not limited to: raffle, traffic control, and especially the bike rodeo and helmet check. Please call Peggy Fjetland, 841-4458, to get involved.

TWBC NEWSLETTER Page Three July, 1994

Ride Reports:
Oregon Desert, by Steve Brown

Over Memorial Day weekend Carla and I decided to go to S.E. Oregon on a bicycle adventure. We picked this location to eliminate the likelihood that it might rain.

The main attractions were the Alvord Desert, Malheur Wildlife Refuge, the Steens Mountain, and the town of Andrews—the driest weather station in the state of Oregon, with only 7 inches of rain reported annually.

We stayed at the finest hotels, and ate at the best restaurant. You see, most of these towns only had one of each, if we were lucky. In Fields, Oregon we saw numerous airplanes driving down the highway to meet at a favorite local restaurant—OK, the only local restaurant. Denio, across the border in Nevada, provides a little booze and gambling, and Frenchglen, the only town with tourist attractions, has the Frenchglen Hotel, period.

Steens Mountain rises out of the desert so rugged that no road crosses the thirty mile length of the mountain range. I had been here some 15 years before, and envisioned a classic bike trip of a 160 mile loop around the mountain. However, the backside was still 75 miles of gravel road, so the loop trip never materialized. Fortunately, day trips were in abundance. One trip was a 50 mile trip around the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. We stayed at the Malheur field station.

The highlight of my week was mountain biking to the summit of Steens Mountain at 9,500 feet, and looking over into the Alvord desert some 4,000 feet below.

You are probably wondering if we avoided the rain. To be honest, it did rain, but it never reached the ground.
Deserts are like that.

Peninsula Metric Century Wrap-up, by Kent Wienker

The ride went well. Good weather at the start brought out the cyclists who might have been here last year, had the sun come out. With all the volunteers showing up, the morning rush went smoothly.

The cellular phones from Bob Fleming-Jones allowed the necessary communication lines to be open. This was a major contribution. The phones got a little weak in the end, just like some of us.

Thanks go to the Club members who supported the ride by paying and riding.

Several people were involved from January through June 5th. Carla Gramlich stayed up late the night before and organized the Gig Harbor end of registration. She was in charge of publicity, and spent many hours on this. Iam

~ extremely grateful for her help, without which we do not get that extra 100 riders. She did the post party. Thope

everyone was told about this! She worked all day. Steve Brown helped remind me of things (this guy could be mayor), like how many peanut butter tubs to get.

~ We only bought twelve too many. He did the mileage distances between checkpoints that were available at every rest

stop. He put up our Club signs along the routes. He made signs for Gig Harbor, parked cars, organized the equipment trucks the night before, and hauled equipment to and from needed areas. He drove the course, worked all day, and still smiled at the end. He eats a lot of pizza. Invaluable. He believed.

Karen Forbush and Family started at her house making 635 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Figures were kept by Carla as to how much to buy, etc. So thanks to Jamie Pearsall, Carla, Karen’s mother Faye Grah, and granddaughters Alissa and Shannon. Karen hauled equipment to Southworth and set up at 6:00 a.m., canopies and all. Also there all day were her daughters, Alissa Forbush and Jan Brame. Her other daughter, Shannon, and Larry Anderson, were at Fauntleroy in Seattle until 11:15, and had a good time. Southworth was together.

Dena Wessels did the flyer for the ride, and hosted the planning meetings. She was in charge of registration in Gig Harbor all day. She put up signs and balloons on freeway off ramps. She made a 50 foot sign for the freeway fence. She was in charge of the cash and checks, and spent many hours on the computer. Thanks, Dena.

Thanks to the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce for their rest stop. They provided all the food.

Cathy Hall has worked on this ride in past years, and once again, did a great job. Brian Wester had new
registration forms printed that had room for a rider’s address, which will be good for future bulk mailings. He worked
most of the day, shuffling some food around, and filling in for a couple who could not make it. Bob Myrick and Louis
Boitano worked all day. Thanks. Steve Lay put all the equipment away the next day, after we took it back. Steve and
Carla helped with this as well.

The Club thanks all these people whose efforts turned the PMC into a reality: Greg Torfin hauled equipment to
and from, and more. Don Partington and son hauled equipment, and helped with parking. Cynthia Hammer worked a
rest stop, and her excellent notes from her three years as chairperson for this ride were a valuable guide for everything.
The idea for the “Hardest 100” was hers. Connie and Matt Reitzug did excellent course marking and worked two
different rest stops.

Thanks to everyone who worked one or more shifts. Peggy Fjetland and Joy Roelofsz set up the Manchester State Park rest stop. Others are: Randy Davis, George Hauser, Ken Blaha, Laura Megenedy and husband, Shirley and John Morgan, Joan and Stan Sanders, Phyllis and Steve Lay, Susan and David Bourne, Dave and Regi Tison, Carla

(Ride Reports continue on page 5)

TWBC NEWSLETTER Page Four July, 1994

(Ride Reports continued from page 4)

Moshetti and David Lee. Also, Warren Lew, Rocky Hauge, Stacy Deen, Sylvia and Brian, Dan Brown and grandson, Tom Baracan, Chriss (going to England soon, and somehow I do not have your last name), and Doug Jackman. If there are more, please call me so mention can be made. Jim Couch, owner, and Scott McNabb, mechanic, of the Spoke and Sprocket bike shop, added a lot in their sup- port of our Club. They were at Southworth, had the radio on, and worked ona lot of bikes. They want to come back next year. They made a special trip to Fox Island, through a series of phone calls, to assist a rider who needed a tire. Thanks. Dave Parker worked the new rest stop on Fox Island all day. The building used has bunk beds, so maybe a few more of you can venture out to this stop next year. Thanks, Dave. The Gig Harbor Mountain Shoppe was represented by Les, and mechanic, Dillon Stanley. Thanks for their sale,

which assisted some riders.

Bill Lindesmith for Powerbar gave out free samples and a gift to the Club of 60 bars. Linda provided The Pony Espresso truck. Barry Farrath and John Wong of Washington State Ferries linked the water and land. Chris Goodman and Fire Station #5 in Gig Harbor hosted us once again, with our thanks.

The total number of riders has become a mystery. People have different figures. It might be 788 or 836. Whatever the right count is, I will remember all of the volunteers and some of the riders. Now, if 2000 people show up next year...

New! TWBC Membership

Pins And Shirt Transfers

The Tacoma Wheelmen’s Bicycle
Club now has membership pins and
shirt transfers. The patches are no
longer available.

The new pins can be obtained from the membership chairperson for the low cost of $2.00, plus $1.00 shipping and handling. New members who have not received a membership patch in their member packets will be mailed a pin soon. The pins are also available at the Club and Board meetings and some rides, or you can leave a message on the ride line.

The shirt transfers beautifully dem- onstrate your Club support. The transfers are also $2.00, plus $1.00 for shipping and handling. Four different color combinations are available, and the transfers are heat set and best applied at a shirt shop. The shop that made the transfers will do the job on your shirt or theirs for $1.00, plus the cost of the shirt. You can obtain a transfer at the Club meetings or from the membership chairperson, or call the ride line and leave a message.

Pins and transfers feature the Club
logo and name. The ride line number
is 759-2800.

Club Picnic—
September 11, 1994

Comments From The
Past President’s Spouse

by Steve Brown

Carla has just finished a year of be- ing President of the TWBC. She spent hundreds of hours each month lead- ing Club rides, going on Club rides, attending meetings, organizing bicy- cle rodeos, and keeping the Club af- fairs in order.

After a year of perfect attendance at Club and Board meetings, Carla was not present at the Annual Club Meeting in June. Reports are that she was attending happy hour at the Radisson Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Further, it seems that she did not bring her bicycle, but did have room to pack her helmet (in case she falls down after happy hour, I guess).

July Board Meeting—

The July Board meeting will be at
Carla Gramlich’s home, 3218 N. 28th,
Tacoma, WA. , on July 5th at 7:00
p.m. Everyone is welcome.

No Club meetings in July & August.

Page Five

NowBike Hires New

Executive Director

Susie Stephens has been hired as the
new Executive Director of the
Northwest Bicycle Foundation.

Stephens has worked as NowBike’s
Program Manager since April of 1993.
She is a regular bicycle commuter (in
fact, she does not even own a car), an
enthusiastic bicycle tourist, and Vice-
President of the Cascade Bicycle
Club.

Stephens replaces Don Bullard, who
led NowBike for nearly three years.
Bullard has returned to his field of
architecture.

Give Susie a call at the NowBike
office, 206-654-0276.

A Club Welcome Goes
To Our New Members For
July

New members for July include:
Stewart L. Brummett, Katherine
DuPille, Ray Griffin, Dianne and Rich
Koch, Mary, Scott, and Steven Kub-
sizewski, Lorene Lenderman, Marty
Mayock, Erik Mathieson, Laura C.
Moore, Jim Powell, Gene Rivers, and
Janice Sigurdson.

Ride Line—759-2800

July, 1994

Governmental Affairs

by Bob Myrick

Bicycle Advisory Committee

A State of Washington Bicycle Ad-
visory Committee (B.A.C.) meeting
will be held in Tacoma on Saturday,
July 16, 1994, at the Lakeview Main-
tenance Facility. The B.A.C. meetings
are held quarterly, and _ rotate
throughout the State to afford cyclists
the chance to see and participate in
the primary bicycle committee giving
input to the Department of Transpor-
tation (D.O.T.). The meetings start
about 9:00 a.m., and if you are avail-
able, please try to stop by.

Mr. T.J. Nedrow is with the D.O.T.,
and works on non-motorized issues
for our area. He is looking for defi-
ciencies in our area. Examples follow:
e D.O.T. should revise its policy of

not allowing Dan Henry markers
on State roads.

e The Narrows Bridge needs access
ramps.

© A Hwy 16 bike trail should be
completed.

e The Puyallup River Bridge on
Puyallup Avenue needs access
Tramps.

e The SR 509 project needs a safe
bikeway from Northeast Tacoma
to downtown.

Please contact Mr. Nedrow or me
with your concerns or, better yet,
attend the B.A.C. meeting.

B.F.W. & NowBike Merger

Iam pleased to report the proposed
merger between the B.F.W. and
NowbBike is progressing smoothly.

The two organizations are planning

to revise their names and rewrite

bylaws to accomplish joint econo- mies. There will be common board members. The B.F.W. will continue to be the prime vehicle for bicycle lobby- ing throughout the State. Funds will be provided as in the past by request- ing ride organizers to contribute on a “per rider” basis.

NowBike will continue as a non-
profit advocacy and _ educational
group with its own fund raising abil-
ity.
The State ride calendar will con-
tinue, and significant economies and

efficiencies will be achieved for the

benefit of both groups.

Transportation Enhancement Projects
Over 14 Transportation enhance-

ment projects have been recom-

mended by the Puget Sound Regional

Council for fiscal year 1995. Our re-

gion has requested $3,270,515.00.

Pierce County Parks would receive

$1,087,600.00 for construction of the

Foothills Trail from McMillin to Ort-

ing and on to South Prairie.

Pierce County did well this year because we worked to provide a rule whereby this multi-year program would eventually wind up with bal- anced and equitable funding among the counties based on population. Planned Bike Lanes In Doubt

Ever feel like a second class citizen when you are riding your bike? No wonder. Tacoma’s transportation plan says to encourage bicycle use, but the City engineers are considering elimination of planned striped shoul- ders for bicycles along the new 2.5 mile stretch of Marine View Drive linking to the new SR 509.

They want to trade the bike lanes for a motorized lane. It has been sug- gested that we ride on the gravel shoulder rather than share the road with truck traffic. This new road will be the best chance to provide a safe route across the tideflats between I-5 and the Port.

It is essential we all take out a mo-
ment to call or write the powers that
be. After all, if we do not let them
know what we want, they will as-
sume we do not care!

When you call or write emphasize
the following points:

e Safety for bicyclists encourages
bicycle use (as emphasized in Ta-
coma’s transportation plan.

¢ No good alternative routes
between I-5 and the Port.

e Heavy truck traffic demands that
bicyclists have a separate lane.

e¢ We need paved lanes for safety.

e It is the responsibility of government
to provide bicycle access in new
projects.

e There should be a citizen's board
that understands bicycling issues.

exist

Page Six

Write or call both individuals be-
low:

Politician for the district:

Councilman Robert Evans

City of Tacoma

747 Market Street, Suite 1200

Tacoma, WA 98402

Phone: 591-5100 (Tell secretary to
leave the same message for all council
members.)

City staff in charge of building roads:
Bill Pugh, Director of Public Works
City of Tacoma
747 Market Street, Suite 1200
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: 591-5525

If you should have questions, or
want to work on government affairs,
please call me at 473-7455.

Rider Alert
by Kent Wienker

Recently, Bob Myrick had the mis-
fortune of having no witnesses to an
accident.

On an organized ride in Eastern Washington a hit and run driver hit him from behind. He suffered a bro- ken fibula, and other injuries. An at- tempt to find a witness was to no avail. Bob is determined to get back on his bike, and has planned for rides this summer. Heal fast, Bob.

On a similar note, two other inci-
dences have occurred on the Steila-
coom-Dupont road.

Last month a truck from Boise Cas- cade passed me on a curve with a foot of clearance. Because I did not hear him coming (it was downhill and he did not sound his horn) I was startled. Then he moved over and hit me. I was able to remain upright by going into a ditch at 30+ mph. There was no other vehicle to prevent the driver from moving over. Better yet, why did he not wait until I was around the corner?

Three weeks later a friend was passed by a Boise Cascade truck that was too close, causing him to go off the road. Are these drivers laughing about the bikers they have been run- ning off the road? Conversely, I have ridden for years on these roads with- out this kind of treatment. Call if you have had a similar experience.

July, 1994

The Tacoma Wheelmen's
Bicycle Club

Board Members
PRESIDENT
Kent Wienker -474-9395
VICE-PRESIDENT

SECRETARY
Dena Wessels *857-5658
TREASURER
Hazel Giddings 894-2643
TOURING CAPTAINS
Matt & Connie Reitzug -265-2127
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
William Hoehne «759-4464
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Bob Myrick -473-7455
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS

PAST PRESIDENT
Carla Gramlich -752-4038

Staff
MEMBERSHIP
Phyllis Lay -759-1816
PUBLICITY
Cynthia Hammer -752-0801
L.A.W. REPRESENTATIVE
Sue Given -565-0535
B.E.W. COORDINATOR
Diane Lister -752-8636
SAFETY & EDUCATION
Jan Wieser -833-6346
EQUIPMENT MANAGER
Steve Brown -752-4038
RIDE LINE
Steve Lay -759-1816
MAILING
Don Izenman -565-2720

Annual Committees
DAFFODIL CLASSIC
Brian Wester -862-3288
Sylvia Russell -862-3288
PENINSULA METRIC
Kent Wienker -474-9395
BICYCLE SHOW BOOTH
Sylvia Russell -862-3288
Brian Wester -862-3288
S.T.P. COORDINATOR
Hank Giddings -894-2643
BANQUET COMMITTEE
Bob Myrick -473-7455
ANNUAL PICNIC
Peggy Fjetland -841-4458
Joy Roelofsz 847-1843
Send correspondence to: The Tacoma
\Wheelmen's Bicycle Club, P.O. Box 112078,
(Tacoma, WA 98411.
Send articles, for our Newsletter, to the editor
ft: 5702 N. 33rd, Apt. 17B, Tacoma, WA 98407.
E-mail can be sent to the editor via Compuserve,
User # 71570,446.
Article deadline for the August, 1994 issue is
July 19, 1994.

Puyallup Passes

Helmet Law

The Puyallup City Council passed an
ordinance on July 18, 1994, requiring
bicyclists to wear helmets while on
public property.

All ages are covered by the law, with
enforcement of a $25.00 fine. Warnings
will be issued for the first few weeks the
ordinance is in effect, with parents
receiving the fines or warnings for
children under 18 years of age.

With this law, Puyallup joins Pierce
County, King County, and Tacoma in
passing helmet laws this year. Pierce
County's law goes into effect on
September Ist.

Mini Minutes
TWBC Board Meeting

by Dena M.E. Wessels, TWBC Secretary

On June 7, Board Members met in
Carla G.'s & Steve Brown's home.
Tacoma Helmet Law: Carla G reported
that on June 17 the City of Tacoma will
have a helmet law similar to that of
Pierce County.
Foothills Rails to Trails: Carla reported
that 3/4's of a mile in Buckley has been
paved.
PMC: Kent W reported that on June 5,
788 riders were on the PMC course. No
serious injuries were reported. Kudos to
club volunteers, & also to our
mechanical assistance from Mt.
Constance (Gig Harbor) & Spoke &
Sprocket (Tacoma). They went out of
their way to assist our riders on that day,
with their time, efforts & equipment.
The pizza party was held after the ride
for the volunteers. A small gift of
produce & Club thanks went to the Gig
Harbor Fire Station for allowing the all
day use of their facility for a
registration/check point. The remaining
4 consolidated boxes of leftover produce
were donated to Peninsula Fish.
June General Meeting: Elections, with
printed ballots, will be held at the new
location. The following reflects the
current ballot: President: Kent Wienker;
Vice-President: none; Secretary: Dena
Wessels & Joy Roelofsz; Treasurer:
Hazel Giddings; Touring Captains: Matt

Page Seven

& Connie Reitzug; Newsletter Editor: William Hoehne; Director _ of Community & Government Affairs: Bob Myrick; Director of Special Events: none. STP Checkpoint: Hazel G reports that everything is a go, except a lot more volunteers are needed. At the present time, 32 have signed up & the Club needs at least 80.

July Board Meeting: Scott Pierson has
graciously offered his home (2804 N
19th St, Tacoma) for the Club's use for
this meeting.

Sept. General Meeting: the members
will be voting on the budget which the
new Board will develop during July &
August. Information about the '94-'95
budget needs to be into Newsletter by
the 3rd Tues. in August.

Community & Govrnmt Affairs: See
Bob Myrick's article on page six of this
Newsletter.

Transfers: The heat transfers for the Club are in the process of being produced. For two dollars members will receive 1 large & 2 small transfers. It is recommended that the transfers be put on clothing with at least 50% cotton’ content, & that it be heat transferred by a professional. The more expensive dyes which would bond with 100% poly can be explored at a later date.

Question raised: It was brought up that
the Club perhaps should look at
different insurance companies for
coverage for our Club, citing desired
increase in the quality of service, & more
advantageous rates.

Question raised: It was brought up that individual signs for the Daffodil & the PMC should be made up, specifically for the Bike Expo (but which could also be used at the individual rides), to facilitate in the directing of people to the Club's table, & potentially enhance pre- registrations for the rides. :

Remember, there are no Club meetings
in July and August. Use the third
Tuesday to ride your bicycle in summer
weather.

The next TWBC meeting is September
20, 1994.

July, 1994

City Of Destiny

(Continued from page 1)

parental roles. Impressing the council
and audience most was John Berry III's
concise, grueling account of his bicycle
accident, permanent damage, and
lengthy rehab. We thank John for his
commitment and emotional impact.

Fast forward to June 7, 1994. Deputy
Mayor Miller reconvenes the Council.
Cameras roll as “Three Strikes You're
In” passed. We again endured detailed
items prior to ours, leafing through
bicycle magazines for distraction. Fi-
nally, the clerk read the helmet or-
dinance.

Technical changes completed, the proposal elicited a dazzling array of commentary, particularly from Council Member DeForrest. Clearly opposed, he questioned the cost, whether adults needed helmets, education plans, the time table, tricycle coverage, whether 2 and 3 year olds could be given tickets, liability, and making the infraction civil rather than traffic.

The city lawyer calmed concerns, after which DeForrest suggested a bicycle tax and school safety program complete with kids' bicycle licensing. Council member Kirby resented the imposition of such controls, but went for it to de- crease medical costs.

At long last, the council voted seven to
one, mandating helmet use in Tacoma
starting June 17, 1994. Can we make
citizen's arrests, I wondered? No council
member questioned that.

Trek Washington
Give It A Try

by Joy Roelofsz On Sunday, June 12, 1994, Carla Gramlich, Peggy Fjetland, Greg Torfin, and Joyce Clifford rode out of Gas Works Park in Seattle, accompanying me on the first leg of Trek Washington. This is a 7 day, 385 mile, fully sup- ported trip across the state of Washing- ton, via the North Cascades Highway. This ride benefits the American Lung Association of Washington. First Day: The first day, 50 miles, was through Seattle, partially on the Burke-Gilman

Trail, through Woodinville, Snohomish, and on to Arlington. Near the Arlington Airport an accident occurred on the freeway, and traffic had been rerouted to our road, which was very narrow and had no shoulder. Some yahoo honked his horn at one of the riders when he was right beside her, and in fright she dumped her bike and was injured enough to not ride the next two days.

Upon arrival at Snohomish, I set up my tent under an overhang of the school, where we were camping, think- ing this would keep me from getting rained on. It did do that, however I was right under a light, and kept waking all night thinking it was morning.

Dinner that night was fine. We had salmon, corn on the cob, fresh aspara- gus, and linguini, plus a whole lot of other choices. The meal was served by a restaurant which really went out of their way to treat us well. Some of their staff had been personally touched by cancer, and they appreciated our help to fight this serious disease.

Second Day:

72 miles, from Arlington to Dar-
rington to Rockport to Marblemount to
Newhalem. Most of this route was
along beautiful rivers, including the
Skagit. Gorgeous scenery, light traffic,
no shoulders. At 53 miles we stopped at
Cascadian Farms for incredibly fresh
strawberry shortcake, a not to be missed
treat. Upon arrival at Newhalem, which
is a Seattle City Light town, we set up
tents and went exploring the little na-
ture trails. Dinner was served by a ca-
terer, and was quite good, spaghetti
being the main dish. I got into a poker
game with a few of the folks, and ended
up on the high side. It rained hard all
night.

Third Day:

Killer day, for 60 miles. As I was get- ting dressed into damp clothes after listening to rain on my tent all night, I seriously questioned my sanity. The weather was socked in, raining hard, and I had a 42 mile climb ahead of me. It was a lot of work, no doubt. I obvi- ously had not done near enough HILL training. But I made it. Did walk a bit, all the better to enjoy the scenery, right.

There are a million waterfalls along
this stretch of road. About 30 miles out

Page Eight

the staff served us lunch, but it was so
cold, no one stopped for long. Rainy
Pass was about 37 miles out, and a real
feeling of accomplishment.

Someone had made the suggestion that I carry dry, heavy clothes along to change into for the descent. A pregnant idea. I changed at Rainy Pass and still had about 5 miles to get to Washington Pass. It was snowing at Washington Pass. Could not see any of the moun- tains, which was too bad, because I understand they are really something to behold.

Then I started down the other side. It was sleeting so hard my face burned and vision was difficult. I could see well enough to spot a bobcat or lynx cross the road right in front of me. What a thrill! Hit 40 mph going down, and was on the brakes most all the way.

Our ending spot was Mazama, and I
had a room at the Mazama Inn, mostly
for the privilege of having a hot tub.
Nice. Had spaghetti again for dinner.

Fourth Day:

63 miles, and the most beautiful day
of all. The weather was wonderful, the
route essentially down hill, and the
scenery great. Went from Mazama to
Winthrop, to Twisp (home of the cin-
namon twisp), to Carlton, to Methow, to
Pateros to Brewster, all along the
Methow River and a short stretch of the
Columbia. Camp was at the Brewster
Park along the river, a lovely setting.
Dinner was spaghetti. At 2:30 a.m. the
sprinklers came on to add a little excite-
ment to things.

Fifth Day:

49 miles, from Brewster to Bridgeport
to Grand Coulee. The scenery here is
lovely, especially when you are going
as slow as I am going, and can see all
the little potholes and the meadowlarks
(and hear their songs), and watch the
hawks shopping for breakfast.

Iused to live and work in Grand Cou-
lee, so I spent the afternoon visiting old
friends whom I had not seen in 19
years. A real treat.

Dinner that night was pasta prime-
vera. We went to the dam and watched
the movie and light show. The light
show had some real interesting mo-
ments, but in my opinion it could have

(Continued on page 9)

July, 1994

Trek Washington
(Continued from page 8)
been cut about in half.

Sixth Day:

50 miles, from Grand Coulee up a
major hill, to Wilbur, Creston, and
Davenport. A 20 mph head wind stayed
with us, and the route was essentially
up, although gradual. It was hot.

Dinner that night was, you guessed it,
spaghetti. Spent a couple hours in
Davenport before dinner—its a nice
little town. That evening we had a slide
show, and various people did little
presentations. Alla lot of fun.

Seventh Day:

35 miles, from Davenport to Reardan
to Spokane. We had either no wind ora
tail wind. I covered the 35 miles, in-
cluding about 10 stop lights in Spokane,
in 2.5 hours, which for me is really cook-
ing. I started at 6:30 a.m., and went 15
miles before anyone caught up with me.
Really a nice day. Finish was at River-
front Park. We all went over to the “Y”
for showers, and they were nice enough
to let us in the hot tub in our bike shorts.
Sort of a wet t-shirt contest. After a bit of
shopping and lunch, we loaded onto
buses and headed home at 2:00 p.m.,
arriving at 8:00 p.m. Greg was kind
enough to pick me up and bring me
home.

I know a lot of you do not like rides
where you have to collect pledges. I

really feel you should reconsider. It is
amazing how easy the minimum a-
mount can be collected. This is a great
cause, and I know a lot of the other
pledge rides are for just as great a cause.

The people you ride with on these rides are just great. Being together for 7 days makes it possible for you to get ac- quainted and at least recognize each other. Several of the people on this Trek have been on other Treks I have been on, and I felt they were old friends. Everyone was so helpful at all times. It was great fun to see the variety of bikes, as well as the different sizes, shapes, and ages of the riders. I would like to encourage each and every member to give one of these Treks a try. You will not be sorry.

Note from Sylvia Russell:

As a follow- up to the Daffodil
Classic, the Club made donations to
communities and organizations that
helped us.

This is a thank you note from the
Dogwood Garden Club of Eatonville,
which maintains the highway scenic
viewpoint which is the Barney's
Corners rest stop on the ride.

June 4, 1994
Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club
Dear Members:
Thank you for your contribution of

$25.00, and the beautiful Daffodil
Classic pins are a treasure.

The money will be used for something
at Dogwood Park, and the pins I will
give to my group of Garden Club ladies
(and couples husbands) that help me
maintain the Park.

A Blue Star Memorial Highway large
national sign will be installed soon.
Plantings, stepping stones, and a bench
will enhance. We will let you know
when the formal dedication will be.

Thank you for your appreciation and
support.

Sincerely, Elsie J. Hughes, Park Co-
ordinator.

Classified Ads

For Sale:

3 tickets for the Cycle Oregon
Double Century, July 16-17. $95.00 per
person includes five meals and a t-shirt.
| forgot to get in shape.

Call Lisa Beuché, 756-4852 or
472-4175.

For Sale: :

Cannondale, light blue. 56cm.
Dura Ace STI, under 200 miles.
$1000.00.

Call Sean at 472-5182

TWEC 1994 Picnic
Sunday, September 11, 1994
Wapato Park, Tacoma, WA
Name(s):
Number who will attend:

Please complete this form and return it by August 31, 1994. Send to TWBC Picnic, 11710-80th Avenue East, Puyallup, WA 98373. Picnic start time ts 12:00 noon.

Page Nine

July, 1994