Ken's update.....

In regard to BACA representatives appearing on the Pat Lynch Show at noon this Monday, July 26, I stated that, “We are not encouraging bicyclists to call in.” That was probably not the best choice of phrase on my part. I did not intend to discourage people from calling. I did intend to indicate that we were not promoting an organized effort to call. The station is KABZ, 103.7.

Ken Gould

Representatives of Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas (BACA) will be on the Pat Lynch Show on Monday, July 26 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. In addition to discussing the rights & responsibilities of motorists & bicyclists, we plan to talk about the recent development of bicycling & trail facilities in Central Arkansas. Appearing with me will be Charlie Hight (North Little Rock Alderman & BACA member - will talk about the North Little Rock River Trail & other NLR trails) and Dr. Rob Lambert (BACA Board member & moving force behind the River Trail "Medical Mile" - will talk about the Medical Mile & the health benefits of bicycling). I will address other developments, including the Lock & Dam Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge & the old & new trails in Two Rivers Park. We are not encouraging bicylists to call in. Thanks go to Pat Lynch for being very cordial & cooperative in making the arrangements for us to appear on his show.

Again, our next BACA meeting will be Thursday, August 5 at 7 p.m. at the Oyster Bar. Terry Eastin of the Headwaters Partnership (the group that has coordinated development of the River Trail) will speak.

Ken Gould

Several trails have been clipped recently by a couple of members. The worst of the Spring trail demolition is over now and all that is left, is to clear, level, and build. More info forthcoming as it rolls out.

Just a reminder for new members and old alike - To get through the gate at Camp you must have current vehicle registration, drivers license, proof of insurance, and a carp card. Also when you get in, save the blue slip they give you, it will expedite things the next time you come, to show the blue slip. Note to web guy to add this to the join page.

Note from Matt Henry:
I informed many of you that the course for the Three Legged Dog will take place on the Emerald Park Trail. I have been informed recently that this is no longer the case. The course for the Three Legged Dog will take place exclusively on the Burns Park trails. Sorry for any confusion on this matter. The Emerald Park trail will be finished this year, however, so those of you have put work in on this trail - it is not in vain. We will have downtown mountain bike course soon!

Matt Henry

CARP still has plenty of jerseys which can be purchased from the member area. More pictures soon.

The e-mail membership expiration reminder is now set to two weeks. When your CARP yearly membership is about to expire you will recieve an e-mail two weeks before expiration. This allows each member plenty of time to renew online and get their card back before expiration.

The latest update from Ken....

I am pleased to report that through the good offices of a BACA board member and conversations I have had with Pat Lynch, the controversy arising from a couple of Mr. Lynch’s shows last week appears on the way to a resolution that should be favorable to BACA and bicycling and may well produce a net benefit for our continuing advocacy efforts. Here’s an update on what has happened followed by a request for everyone’s cooperation in helping BACA to resolve this matter.

The update:

During the course of the conversations & exchange of e-mails with Pat Lynch, he has indicated that he holds no animosity toward bicyclists or BACA, that he feels he said nothing on his radio program that suggested urging harm to bicyclists, and that he recognizes the right of bicyclists to ride responsibly on the streets and roads.

Mr. Lynch has offered time during his program to allow representatives from the bicycling community to make a positive presentation about bicycling and to answer questions. I think this presents the best opportunity for a favorable resolution of the issues generated by the show and an opportunity to inform the community at large about efforts of the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, Pulaski County, and BACA to improve bicycling and bicycling and trail facilities for the benefit of the entire community. It will also allow furthering BACA’s mission to provide education about the rights and responsibilities of both motorists and bicyclists.

The request:

From my conversations with him, I think Pat Lynch will be fair in allowing us to make a balanced presentation. We need to work with Mr. Lynch in a spirit of cooperation and do nothing further that will jeopardize the opportunity we have been presented. Please do not send e-mails or other communications to Pat Lynch or station KABZ that are critical about what may or may not have been said on last week’s programs. Let’s put that behind us. Part of the idea behind BACA is that through BACA the bicycling community can speak with one voice. Our message becomes fragmented & ineffective when too many cooks try to stir the pot. We will try to let everyone know the date of the program &, assuming the program goes well, then perhaps would be a good time to thank Pat Lynch & the station for the opportunity to make our presentation.

Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions in regard to this matter.

Thanks.

Ken Gould

Got a Red Alert from Ken....

Yesterday morning the Pat Lynch Talk Radio Show (or at least a significant portion thereof) on KABZ (103.7 “The Buzz”) was apparently devoted to complaints about bicyclists. More specifically, the program was essentially an invitation by Lynch for callers to bash bicyclists. A BACA member heard a small portion (5 minutes or so) of the show & reports that during that time Lynch, with a sarcastic tone of voice, said things like, “We wouldn’t want to get them (bicyclists) run over, that would be too bad;” “If you hit one, of course, you would get sued,” etc. Lynch would then follow such comments with an exculpatory, “Of course, I am just kidding.”

We want to request that the radio station take corrective action. However, we first would like to get a more complete report of what transpired during the show. A transcript or tape of the show would be ideal. We have requested a tape from the station but to date the station has not responded to our request. If you heard all or a portion of the program (or know someone who did) or have a tape of the program, please send me an e-mail.

By the way, our next BACA meeting will be Thursday, August 5 at 7 p.m. at the Oyster Bar. Terry Eastin of the Headwaters Partnership (the group that has coordinated development of the River Trail) will speak.

Thanks.

Ken Gould
ksgould@ualr.edu

"Hipper Then Hip" from "What is Hip" as Tower Of Power use to sing....The Tour De France is heading into the peak stages and this month's Wired has a cool article on Lance Armstrong and the hardware helping his warp drives stay on top of the Tour De France. Check it out...every item is carefully crafted for aerodyamic weight savings and spectacular efficiency. The piece I was most interested in (being the nerd that I am) - the two-way radio U.S. Postal supplies to keep its team connected. The Alinco DJ-C5T is a rawking two-way unit with mosquito repeller! The credit card sized 2.99 oz unit lets Armstrong & team rawk everyone's world! Check out all the other slick equipment on Wired.

The next BACA meeting will be Thursday, August 5th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Oyster Bar, 3003 W. Markham. Terry Eastin, Coordinator fo the Headwaters Partnership for the Arkansas River Trail, will be our featured speaker. The Headwaters Partnership is a coalition of federal, state, county, and municipal public and private agencies and organizations dedicated to the completion of the River Trail. BACA is a member of the Partnership.

Terry is extremely knowledgeable about the progress of the River Trail and will be available to answer your questions regarding the status of the River Trail. Please plan on attending to learn more about the River Trail and to show you support for completion of the Trail.

The next BACA meetings are tentatively scheduled for the first Thursday of the month. We are planning a candidates’ forum for the September meeting. More information will be available on the website and by e-mail.

Check the BACA News link for the latest BACA news.