Bicycles

Otterbein United Methodist Church is sponsoring its seventh annual bicycle collection in conjunction with Bikes for the World. Bicycles and sewing machines can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 30, at the Otterbein United Methodist Church, corner of Franklin and Locust Streets, Hagerstown. A $10 per item donation is appreciated to help defray the cost of shipping and distribution to overseas partners.   Hagerstown Rotary Club is also providing assistance in the collection efforts for this year's event.

When the last bicycle was loaded onto the truck Saturday afternoon, a total of 219 had been collected in the second year of Otterbein United Methodist Church's participation in the Bikes for the World program. "We're very excited we did so well again," said Cindy Brown, director of programs at the 108 E. Franklin St. church. More than 20 volunteers were on hand from 9 a.m. to noon to accept bicycles brought in by people who wanted to donate them, Brown said. Older residents, Scouts and neighborhood children were among those who volunteered.

karenh@herald-mail.com HANCOCK - Pamela and George Whetzel couldn't sell their dreams and passions. So they gave them away. On Sunday, the Whetzels celebrated the transfer of their bike shop to an Ohio family who has promised to love it as much as they have. "I think we're just overwhelmed. It's nothing you would expect to happen," Judy Hudson, 34, said as her husband, Dennis, leaned over a fire-engine red bike at C&O Bicycle in Hancock. Dennis Hudson, 40, will start work next week after the Whetzels selected him as the winner of an essay contest to become the new owner of their store.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- The Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority (BCSWA) and "Bikes for the World" have signed an agreement to implement a one-year pilot program for the collection, recycling and reuse of unwanted bicycles and tricycles, Solid Waste Authority chairman Clint Hogbin announced in a news release. To participate, bicycles or tricycles of any age, condition or manufacture may be recycled at the Grapevine Road Recycling Center or the South Berkeley Recycling Center, according to the release.

Japanese CEOs are most punctual While corporate cultures differ from one country to another, so does the punctuality of chief executive officers, according to a survey of 2,700 CEOs in nine countries. Proudfoot Consulting queried CEOs in the United States, Australia, Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan and South Africa and found that CEOs of Japanese firms are most likely to be on time to meetings - 60 percent said they are hardly ever late. French CEOs had the worst performance, with just 36 percent saying they were usually punctual for meetings.

The City of Hagerstown and Bikes for the World are holding a bike collection Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the city's public works building at 51 W. Memorial Blvd. The collection will be in the parking lot at the corner of South Potomac Street and Memorial Boulevard. Bikes for the World is a nonprofit organization that sends bicycles to developing countries. From January 2005 to December 2008, the group donated 31,000 bicycles to developing countries. The city will hold a second collection Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the same spot.

Toy Mission begins in Pa. By STACEY DANZUSO / Staff Writer, Chambersburg CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - While most youngsters aren't thinking beyond trick-or-treating next week, the Chambersburg Toy Mission urges parents who may need assistance buying Christmas presents for their children to plan ahead and fill out a request form at one of 19 area locations. continued The American Association of Retired Persons Falling Spring Chapter sponsors the Toy Mission, which has provided presents for hundreds of local youths since it was founded more than 50 years ago. Last year, Toy Mission provided gifts for 850 youngsters age 12 and under in Franklin County and Shippensburg, said Charley Burch, former president of the chapter and a member of the management team of Toy Mission.

gregs@herald-mail.com With schools out and weather cooperating, Hagerstown City Police officers are seeing more bicycles, skateboards and roller skates on the city's sidewalks. "In the downtown district, as people walk in and out of stores ... you walk out the door and 'whoosh,' a bicycle flies right by you," said Lt. William C. Wright III, who is in charge of the city's downtown police squad. There's a possibility both rider and customer could get seriously hurt, Wright said.

A yard and bake sale will be held Saturday, May 12, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stonecroft Apartments, a housing unit for senior citizens. Items for sale include household items, jewelry and women's bicycles. The event is sponsored by the Stonecroft Tenants Association to raise funds for activities for seniors. The apartment complex is on King Crest Boulevard off Robinwood Drive.

SMITHSBURG - During Smithsburg's trick-or-treat night Oct. 30, Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) personnel were out in force to help ensure the safety of trick-or-treaters, according to Assistant Chief James Ulrich. While some company members handed out candy at the station or were on standby in Whispering Hills, other personnel staffed bicycles and chase vehicles around town. EMS bike team members maintained radio contact with their chief officers, who could be in contact with the Smithsburg Police Department if needed.

A 48-year-old Chambersburg man who was struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Southampton Township Friday night has died, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release Sunday. Jeffrey I. Coons was riding a bike south on Airport Road at 11:02 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a 2004 Toyota Sequoia being driven by Mark E. Nealy, 42, of Shippensburg, according to the release. Coons, who was thrown over the hood of the vehicle, was flown to Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at about 3:45 a.m. Saturday, the release said.

Police are investigating an armed robbery Thursday morning on Potomac Avenue, Hagerstown Police said in a news release. The robbery in the 1000 block of Potomac Avenue was reported at 4:04 a.m., police said. The victim was confronted by a male who displayed a handgun, the release said. The person, who was wearing a black mask and black hooded sweat shirt, stole a bicycle and sweat shirt before fleeing the area on another bicycle, according to police. Police estimated the loss at $200.

The Eastern Panhandle Bicycle Co., or EP/BC, recently opened its new flagship store at 805 E. Moler Ave. in Martinsburg. The new location retains the company's industrial-themed store and triples its floor space. It encompasses nearly 10,000 square feet, offering cyclists from beginner to professional a selection of bicycles and accessories. The new space also will house EP/BC Outdoors. The owners, Brian and Shannon Weber, are adding a dedicated space for outdoor enthusiasts. EP/BC Outdoors will offer products for watersports, hiking, climbing, camping and adventure sports.

The United Way will hold a family fun and fitness fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Robinwood Professional Center atrium, 11110 Medical Campus Road, east of Hagerstown. Interactive stations include kid-friendly cooking demonstrations, games, health and legal information, bike safety and fire safety drills, child fingerprinting and a Zumbathon. A Cycle United bike ride will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the event. To register, go to www.unitedwaywashcounty.org .

When David Miller turned 50 on Oct. 30, 2011, he knew he wanted to do something different, something life-changing. He found the answer in a bicycle, a map of the United States, a 6-year-old Weimaraner named Max, and a ride across the country that he called “Bike50at50.” A little more than a year later, Miller and Max ended a 15,000-mile bike ride that took them through the lower 48 states plus Alaska by ferryboat, and next week, without Max,...

An 8-year-old girl was taken by helicopter to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Monday morning after she fell off a bicycle at Greenbrier State Park, Mt. Aetna Deputy Fire Chief Ricky Fleming said. Fleming said the girl was taken by Maryland State Police helicopter to the Washington hospital as a precaution. The accident was reported at 9:45 a.m. The helicopter took off at about 10:30 a.m. In addition to state police, the Boonsboro Ambulance & Rescue Service, Mt. Aetna Volunteer Fire Department and Washington County Emergency Services Special Operations responded to the accident.

Starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, the Antietam Velo Club will be staging its Hagerstown Challenge Criterium bicycle race on a closed course in the North End, a city official said. The race route is a loop around portions of Prospect Avenue, Oak Hill Avenue, Charles Street, Hamilton Lane and Forest Drive, city spokeswoman Erin Wolfe said in a news release. During the event, no traffic will be allowed on any of the streets that make up the course, and no on-street parking will be allowed in those areas, Wolfe said.

The Hagerstown Police Department will allow residents and employees of downtown businesses to cross road blocks during the Velo bicycle races today. City Police Chief Arthur Smith said residents and employees who have to get to work will be permitted to cross the road blocks as long as it doesn't interfere with the races. Smith said officers will allow motorists who are affected to enter and exit race areas after the bicyclists have passed through those parts of the course.

Forty-four Rotary clubs are participating in a districtwide, five-day bicycle ride fundraiser to support Rotary International's efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.  Riders will begin Wednesday at locations in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The ride will end Sunday, June 24, in Cross Fork, Pa. “We're hoping that both experienced and novice bikers will join us to ride in the local portion of the bike ride from Williamsport to Greencastle on June 20. Our leg of the ride covers a distance of about 20 miles and is estimated to take about three hours with a stop in Hagerstown,” said David Hanlin, president of the Hagerstown club.

Perry J. Keller is criss-crossing the state this month to gather opinions on bicycle paths. Keller, a planner with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, held the first of eight informational meetings Thursday afternoon in the Ranson City Hall. About 25 people attended. They were asked to add their opinions on improving cycling in the Eastern Panhandle on a color-coded map. The transportation department needs the information for a study to identify proposed designated and signed bicycle routes along the state highway systems like the 11-mile paved biking/hiking path beside the newly opened W.Va.