THE SPOKIN WORD

LICKING COUNTY BICYCLE CLUB NEWSLETTER

July 2008

www.lickingcountybicycleclub.com

July Picnic/Cookout

The Licking County Bicycle Club will have a summer cookout/potluck at the home of Don and Pam Paisley on Sunday, July 13.  Swimming, fishing, corn hole, etc. will begin at 4:00 pm with dinner around 6:00.  The Paisley’s will provide grilled chicken or hamburgers as well as all the needed tableware and napkins.  You need to bring a side dish (veggie tray, desert, fruit, salad, etc.).  Bring the family.  Please RSVP to Don by e-mail (donpaisley@earthlink.net) or phone (740-928-0702) and indicate your preference of burgers or chicken.  Don lives at 2180 Blacks Rd., Hebron, OH 43025.  Blacks Rd. is approximately 4 miles south of Granville on Rt. 37.  Go west on Blacks Rd. to 2180.  You will see a large brick mail box and white plastic fencing with brick columns. 

36^th Land of Legend Tour – A Success!

From Ken Apacki, Tour Director

The June 28^th weather forecast scared off half of our potential riders, but the 87 who were not deterred had nothing but compliments for the annual tour put on by the Licking County Bicycle Club.  Again they liked the scenic pleasure of the route, appreciated the clear and plentiful arrows, were thankful for the home-made cookies, and were surprised by the cantaloupe treat at the end. They were protected by the cloud cover and cooled by the short showers that some of them felt. All but two were safely home by the time the thunderstorm hit hard. Those two were rescued by the emergency SAG team that stood by the whole day.

This deluxe budget tour was truly deluxe -- much finer than most riders expected.

You saw a lot of requests for volunteers in this newsletter. You rose to the occasion. Here to the best of my knowledge is the list of volunteers and their contributions:

Forgive me if I have overlooked your contribution. The reason for the list is to point out that it took many members to complete the tasks required to make the tour a success. Thank you all.

Now for the statistics:

Total Participation = 87 riders

Total Revenues = $650

Rider’s Gender – 55 men = 63%, 32 women = 37%

Rider’s Age – 40-49 = 30%, 50-59 = 27%, 30-39 = 17%, <20 = 10%, 60+ = 8%, 20-29 = 7%

Mileage Goal – 29 miles = 43%, 62 miles = 35%, 100 miles = 22%

Home towns – Columbus & suburbs = 25, Granville = 22, Newark = 11, Heath = 1, Pataskala = 2, Zanesville = 4.

A full report on expenses and profit will be available in the August newsletter.

Next year can be a success too.  I need to be replaced - I hope to be riding down the Continental Divide.  For the past two years I have been writing down each task on a time line to remind myself and to pass on to the next tour director. The foundation for doing the same is available, but there is nothing that says the tour has to be the same. So think about taking the job and coordinating the tour that everyone loves.

Thanks again to all who contribute to this year’s success.

New Members:

Two new members joined the club at the Land of Legend Tour:  Priscilla Rink (right) and Debbie Young.  Another new member, Gloria Livingstone also rode in the tour.  We welcome all of our new members and will try to get to know you better in the coming months.

Web Site of the Month:

The web site of the month is an unusual departure.  During the Land of Legend Tour, Donna Alvarado told us of the interesting derivation of the name Dragoo Rd.  Everyone who has ridden Dragoo Rd. knows of the endless hills on the road, but few know that it was named after Billy Dragoo, a 12 year old that was captured and raised by Indians after his Virginia homestead was attacked in 1786.  Billy Dragoo eventually settled in what became Licking County and is buried in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery just south of Perryton, OH.  The LOL tour passes near this cemetery.  Billy Dragoo never lived on Dragoo Rd. The web site tells a rambling story of the life and times of Billy Dragoo but it is still interesting reading.  The next time you climb Dragoo Rd. you can think of Billy Dragoo.  Go to:  http://www.billydraggoo.20m.com/

Eddie McKee ‘s Mystery Ailment:

Eddie McKee is an “outdoorsman’s outdoorsman.”  He has hiked the Appalachian Trail twice.  He and Bob Rush rode 3700 miles from Newark to Astoria, OR last summer.  He has raced canoes.  He has done more than most men to test his “metal” as man struggles against nature.  At the Land of Legend Tour he didn’t ride but complained of nagging pain in the quadriceps in his legs.  The pain was unexplainable it seemed.  By mid-morning he finally figured it out.  The pain, he surmised, was the result of standing in the kitchen and cutting cantaloupe as a treat for riders completing the tour!  The Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains couldn’t tame Eddie, but the kitchen sink got to him.  He’ll now seek a doctor’s permission before undertaking such strenuous tasks.  I hope everyone enjoyed the cantaloupe as Eddie gave it his best.  If you see Eddie wish him well.

Previous editors of the Spoken Word have done some interesting surveys, and I hope to continue in their tradition.  The survey to be discussed in the August Newsletter revolves around the question:  “What does bicycling do for you?”  If you can answer in just a couple of sentences please send me a response.  Don’t think too hard.  Your first thought is probably the best.

Calendar: Note: Helmets are required for all club rides.  All rides begin and end at Licking County YMCA, 470 West Church Street, Newark, unless otherwise indicated.  Miles are approximate and depend on whether riders follow or deviate from the route. 

            Day/Date         Time                Miles               Destination

            Tuesdays          8:00 a.m.           ?                      Riders’ Choice             

            July 5                8:00 a.m.           25/45                Jacksontown/Gratiot

            July 12              8:00 a.m.           45                     Pataskala (Barn on York) 

            July 19              8:00 a.m.           62                     Land of Legend Metric Century

Licking County Bicycle Club Officers:

Michael Smith/President                           323-1514        Bob Rush/Secretary                  587-4575

Ray Brown/Treasurer                               788-9632        Don Paisley/Newsletter             928-0702

Don Paisley/New Membership                  928-0702       

Ken Apacki/Land of Legend Director        587-2176

Licking County Bicycle Club

PO Box 593

Newark, OH 43058-0593