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Blast from the Past

Gary Rice sent this along. It's a clip from the July 17, 1969 issue of the Lakewood Sun Post. Lakewood used to host a race on "Lakewood Day" that Gary (who still lives in Lakewood) organized. Check it out!

Duck On A Bike

"One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. "I bet I could ride a bike!" he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on, and began to ride..." So begins David Shannon's creative and silly picture book, Duck On A Bike. In no time Duck's mastered the art of pedaling, and is zooming around the barnyard waving and calling to his friends. The cow thinks it's silly, and the sheep is sure Duck will hurt himself. The dog thinks it's neat, and the pigs think Duck is a big show-off. Mr Goat isn't so interested in riding, but would like to eat the bike, the horse just wants to remind Duck that he's still faster, and the cat is so self-involved, he doesn't even look up as Duck rides by. And that's when it happens...a whole gang of kids come riding onto the farm, park their bikes, and go inside. And in just a matter of seconds, Duck discovers he isn't the only animal riding around and around the barnyard..... Mr. Shannon's engaging text begs to be read aloud, and is full of animal sounds and clever asides. But it's his bold, bright, and busy illustrations that really make this book sparkle. Each two page spread is filled with endearing oversized animals, marvelous facial expressions, and hilarious details. Perfect for kids 3-7, Duck On A Bike is a joyous, manic romp that little animal lovers and bike enthusiasts shouldn't miss. Bike folks think Duck On A Bike is the best children's book ever written. (Amazon.com review)

Why A Bicycle is Just as Fast as a Car.

Here’s why.

Cars are really expensive. A decent one is maybe $20,000. Drive it for five years and with $2,000 residual value you’re paying $3,600 per year for the car. Add maintenance of $850 per year, insurance at $800 per year, $2,250 for 900 gallons of gasoline, $1,000 per year in finance charges (or opportunity cost of being unable to invest $20,000), plus parking/washing/etc. at $500 per year. That’s $9,000 per year to own an automobile.

By contrast, a bike costs very little. $100 per year for the bike. Maintenance $200. No insurance, no gas, no finance charges, no parking fees. Maybe $200 for incidentals, special clothing, etc. That totals $500 per year to own a bike.

Let’s say you make $16 an hour. After taxes, that’s maybe $12 an hour. Now let’s presume you drive 15,000 miles a year. At an average speed of 40 miles per hour, you’re spending 375 hours a year driving. But don’t forget, it takes you many hours of work simply to afford the $9,000 annual expense for a car. $9,000 at $12 per hour requires 750 hours of work. So, the total time required to afford and drive your car 15,000 miles a year is about 1,125 hours a year. Guess what? Your car gets you from place to place at an average speed of just over 13 miles per hour. No faster than the average cyclist.

OK perhaps it's not realistic to become car-free. But consider this. Most Lakewood families have two cars. Think about how you might be able to get by with just one car, and put $9,000 a year to better use. That's a LOT of after-tax money you can spend or save any way you want.

The “one-car family” option is much easier to accomplish in Lakewood than it is in neighboring suburbs. We have neighborhood schools, dozens of stores, outstanding recreational and cultural amenities, wonderful parks, easy access to public transportation and downtown Cleveland, and much more -- all packed within a mere 5.6 square miles. Lakewood took shape as a “mixed use” community back when motoring was really expensive, and as a result Lakewood now offers more “things to do” than any other community in Northeast Ohio. Given all that Lakewood has to offer, it just might be possible for many of us to become a “one-car family.” Give it some thought.....