What a weekend! It started with a spirited conversation at the Covenant Presbyterian Church book discussion group. This month we discussed Blood Brothers, Elias Chacour’s autobiographical account of growing up as a Melkite Christian in Palestine during the early years of Israel becoming a Jewish nation. The book is both a moving journey of a young boy as he develops a deep Christian faith and ultimately becomes an activist priest and a revealing look at injustices upheld by the Jewish military against Palestinian citizens and landholders. I came away with a new understanding of the complicated and longstanding disagreements that have erupted again in Israel.
After that, I headed over to Pine and Broadway, the epicenter of the first annual Long Beach Bike Festival. I had ridden my bike 5 miles and parked it for free at the BikeStation—how cool is that? Like many inaugural events, organization was a little rough around the edges. The venders were still setting up when I arrived at 12:45, and the announcers seemed a little unsure about what to say at times.
I stopped by the Bike Long Beach booth and studied the maps of the proposed bikeways on Broadway and Vista, part of the Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan which is explained in detail on its website. A representative said if the plans don’t hit any snags these bike friendly east-west corridors across the city should be operational within a year. I love the idea of cruising downtown without the constant worry that I’m going to be broadsided by a car door or mowed down by someone turning right without noticing a bike approaching.
Most people were there to see the bicycle races billed as the Bicycle Grand Prix, of which I know nothing. There were lots of guys and gals whizzing around in bright-colored spandex suits, and an interesting assortment of folks on old clunkers. The announcers pointed out that the course had been designed with lots of turns to add interest for the spectators and it was fun to watch the race fans sprinting down the Promenade to catch another glimpse of the leaders coming around the bend again and again and again. I stayed for the first race, and then decided to head down to the Long Beach Convention Center to get out of the sun.
After that, I headed over to Pine and Broadway, the epicenter of the first annual Long Beach Bike Festival. I had ridden my bike 5 miles and parked it for free at the BikeStation—how cool is that? Like many inaugural events, organization was a little rough around the edges. The venders were still setting up when I arrived at 12:45, and the announcers seemed a little unsure about what to say at times.
I stopped by the Bike Long Beach booth and studied the maps of the proposed bikeways on Broadway and Vista, part of the Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan which is explained in detail on its website. A representative said if the plans don’t hit any snags these bike friendly east-west corridors across the city should be operational within a year. I love the idea of cruising downtown without the constant worry that I’m going to be broadsided by a car door or mowed down by someone turning right without noticing a bike approaching.
Most people were there to see the bicycle races billed as the Bicycle Grand Prix, of which I know nothing. There were lots of guys and gals whizzing around in bright-colored spandex suits, and an interesting assortment of folks on old clunkers. The announcers pointed out that the course had been designed with lots of turns to add interest for the spectators and it was fun to watch the race fans sprinting down the Promenade to catch another glimpse of the leaders coming around the bend again and again and again. I stayed for the first race, and then decided to head down to the Long Beach Convention Center to get out of the sun.
