The event is a benefit fundraiser for the Reno Bike Project, a community bicycle shop and cycling advocacy organization, and the Holland Project, Reno’s non-profit youth-run arts, music and culture organization. (Disclosure: I’m on the Board for both Reno Bike Project and Holland Project. These grassroots young orgs are having a great impact on our community and culture.)

The film follows these characters over the course of a year, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their personal struggles and triumphs. Described as a “breakthrough documentary,” the film made its world premiere at the Victoria Film Festival earlier this summer and has won a Jury Award for Best Doc at the Calgary Film Festival, won Best Documentary at the Calgary Underground Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Documentary at the San Joaquin International Film Festival.

Veer examines what it means to be part of a community, and how social movements are formed.
Look at any city in the west with a vibrant arts, music and cycling culture and you have a city being recognized as a ‘best place to live’ now. Men’s Journal just pegged Reno as the ‘next Boulder’. (While I know that’s intended to be a compliment, I’ve passed on many opportunities to live in Boulder because Reno kicks Boulder’s ass on so many levels.)

What’s changed? Our culture. We’ve got a booming cycling-friendly creative culture in Reno that’s getting national attention. So let’s celebrate with a good movie and make sure the Bike Project and the Holland Project have the funds they need to keep our culture on a roll.

Tickets are $10.00 and available online at renobikeproject.com. Doors open at 7pm and the screening will be held at 8pm, June 23rd on the 3rd Floor of the Nevadan Hotel (west side of Virginia Street) at the Club Cal Neva.

Club Cal Neva will be operating a bicycle valet at the hotel valet. Afterwards the film’s writer and producer, Greg Fredette will lead a Question & Answer session about the film and cycling culture. A raffle for bike schwag and accessories will close out the evening.

Sponsors include Twelve Horses, Club Cal Neva, Silver Peak’s new Battle Born Beer, Chrome Bags and Reno’s Jet Lites.

Tickets available at the door, or save yourself the hassle of standing in line and print-at-home by buying online.

reno,bike,cycling

I’m the last of the generation that grew up bouncing around in the back of a pick-up trucks and riding shotgun without a child safety seat. And despite learning to ski and ride bikes before I could read, it wasn’t until we had the LoganCody that the ever-present helmet-hair entered our life.

“Today, my kids only look normal to me with helmet-hair. That matty-sweaty-knotted hair is a look of health, activity and safety. The LoganCody have an almost ever-present mildewey smell in their hair, and it’s a smell that I’ll probably that I’ll probably remember them most for. I can smell it now as I write this.

Helmets weren’t new to me. We wore helmets for downhill and super-g races when skiing. But that was it. Never for freeskiing. When climbing, we wore them on big walls, ice climbs and chossy mountaineering routes. But never for standard routes and it wasn’t even a consideration for floofy sport-climbs. And they were never the subject of debate when you strapped on the ‘ol brain bucket on for flying hang gliders or paragliders. Still, I rode thousands of miles on my mountain and road bikes throughout the 80′s and 90′s without a helmet as cars whipped by at 60mph or I rattled down 409 or a Tahoe trail on a no-suspension mountain bike.

It’s not like I don’t know the consequences. I’ve had my concussions. I’ve seen sun-dried brains splattered on the rocks at the bottom of a route in Yosemite. I’ve helped transport the brain-dead body of a fellow paragilder that died despite wearing a helmet. There’s not much to protect that lifegoo inside our egg-shell skulls. One good smack and you’re a vegetable. Or dead. Not sure which is worse.

Once the LoganCody arrived to the LaPlante Family Junkshow, it finally clicked with me. Helmets were mandatory. ‘Nuff said.

While Jessica and I joke that if I could surgically install helmets on the noggin’s of our ever-bouncing LoganCody, it’s only a half-joke. Since we don’t own a TV or have video games, the LoganCody seem to always be getting their schralp on with their bikes and skateboards. We buy band-aids in bulk. Someone is always bleeding or at least picking at a scab. That’s our life.

I get pissed off and yell at parents that let their kids hit rails in the park at Alpine Meadows without helmets. Yeah, I’m an asshole. But I can show you the coma-inducing dings in the back of my helmet to perhaps convince you to the otherwise. One bad hit and you’re eating via a foodbag the rest of your life.

Today, my kids only look normal to me with helmet-hair. That matty-sweaty-knotted hair is a look of health, activity and safety. The LoganCody have an almost ever-present mildewy smell in their hair, and it’s that smell that I’ll probably remember them for. I can smell it know as I write this.

Even as late as three years ago I would still typically ski without a helmet. Jumping on rails and boxes to keep up with the kids changed that more than being that “role model” for the kids. Nowadays I can’t even pedal three blocks to Bibo’s coffee shop on the townie without the kids yelling at me to make sure I have my helmet on. While as dorky as it feels riding the red townie, it’s the right thing to do as a Dad.

I wrote a business plan in 1993 while in college to make smaller/stylish helmets that would appeal to kids and wish that I had followed through on that now. High profile deaths due to head injuries are a persistent reminder to shed the vanity and strap on the egg-shell. Yesterday’s unfortunate death of Actress Natasha Richardson following complications from the brain injury she incurred while skiing without a helmet should drive the point home. Her two grieving sons and husband can’t help but ask themselves why she wasn’t wearing a helmet while she was taking skiing lessons.

For the hundreds of hours I’ve logged on skis, bikes rock climbs without a helmet I feel both lucky and like hypocrite to become that much more of an advocate for helmets. While I’m not sure making it the law is always the answer, it surely is becoming a statement of vanity/stupidity to not wear one. Especially if you have kids.

Go ahead and leave me a comment about how “Helmet Laws Suck” and why not wearing a helmet is cool. I’ll still give huge props to Tony Hawk who skates with a helmet. He’s a Dad. He gets it. Athlete icons like Tony Hawk, Shaun White and Simon Dumont who ride with helmets make it easier for us Dads to keep the helmets in the mix. It’s not like I don’t want to sympathize, I just can’t be an idiot anymore AND be a good Dad.

I’ve spent about two weeks there over this summer. Between the Utah Transit Authority’s rail system, my bike and some creative carpooling I didn’t have to drive to one meeting, or even to our offices in Draper. It was like living in San Francisco yet surrounded by mountains and ski resorts. Every time I hang out in downtown catching great music shows (like Lucero and Langhorne Slim) I can’t help but think that Reno is but 20 years behind in size yet poised with the opportunity to focus our town’s growth curve with more emphasis on land resource planning, mass transit and all the green-in-between. Where Salt Lake will suffer is that their hockey-stick growth phase occurred during cheap gas and real estate. Consequently their town is a very car-dependent culture where people live dozens and dozens of miles from their place of work.

So back to Reno:

Jason Geddes kicks ass. Not only does he share in my penchant for cowboy boots, shirts with mother-of-pearl buttons and chasing Chukar, but he’s local visionary leader that’s dragging Reno (sometimes kicking and screaming) into a future that I want to live in. A Winnemucca/Gabbs native, petroleum chemist and former State Assemblyman, Jason assisted Chuck Alvey take the patchouli-edge off of “green” in the EDAWN business development and economic diversification dialog and made huge progress in his time there. Currently he’s a Regent with the University of Nevada and serves the City of Reno as our town’s Environmental services Administrator. He’s also married to Cindy Geddes who’s one of the best writers here locally.

Jason got the Green Summit off of the ground last year. The first Green Summit was held in April of 2007 and served as a dialogue between Council, staff, and citizens on what the City could do to make Reno more “green”. There were almost 400 people in attendance. The 2008 Green Summit is intended to be a report back to the community on action taken since the last summit, and a continued dialogue on what the City should have as priorities in the 2008-2009 Green Action plan.

[Side note: Jason works with another great organization in this community, Nevada EcoNET. Every Wednesday night this summer the City of Reno's West Street Market features “Eco-Nights” produced by Nevada EcoNet. Click here to read about it. Props to Lauren Siegel and the City of Reno for putting this on!] 

Here’s the deets on the 2008 City of Reno Green Summit:

Location: Joe Crowley Student Union-Ballroom, University of Nevada, Reno

Time: 1-5pm, Date: September 20

Program:

• 1:00-1:45 Welcome by Mayor and Council and Report to Community
• 1:45-2:30 Keynote Speaker- Rocky Anderson, Former Mayor of Salt Lake City
• 2:30-3:00 Break
• 3:00-5:00 Concurrent Break-Out Sessions –Moderated
• A- Single Stream Recycling and Plastic Bag Bans
• B- Education/Youth Programs-EnAct/Youth City Council
• C- Green Building and Sierra Green Guidelines
• D- Transportation

Keynote Speaker – The Honorable Rocky Anderson, founder of High Road for Human Rights, practiced law for 21 years; representing plaintiffs in antitrust, securities fraud, professional negligence, and civil rights cases. He then served as mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000 to 2008.

His comprehensive environmental programs, including an aggressive climate protection campaign, achieved a 31% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Salt Lake City’s municipal operations.

For his leadership on climate change, Anderson received the Climate Protection Award from the EPA, the Distinguished Service Award from the Sierra Club, and the World Leadership Award from the World Leadership Forum.

Anderson is now working to achieve municipal and regional support for climate protection initiatives and to provide grassroots education and advocacy opportunities in the areas of human rights and climate change.

  Incidentally, here’s some photos I snapped on the ‘ol trusty Nokia N95 while I was roaming downtown Salt Lake City with @leilanis during National Ride Your Bike to Work Week campaign. Obviously I thought it was brilliant!

***For Immediate Release***

Flavor and Fun Announced for West Street Market

Reno, NV-In addition to fresh food, dining and shopping, Reno’s Redevelopment Agency today provided a better picture of the entertainment and programming in store at Reno’s new urban market, West Street Market. Reno’s West Street Market remains on target to open its outdoor market in July with the indoor tenants scheduled to open in October.

Every Wednesday night at the market will feature an “Eco Market” produced by Nevada EcoNet. Topics include: Bike & Air; Trails & Land; Babies & Education; Beauty, Health, Clothes; Green Buildings; Pets & Wildlife; Cars, Biodiesel & Public Transportation; Art & Burning Man; Garden & Landscaping; Office; Energy & Sustainability; Waste & Recycling; Eco-Tourism; Truckee River & Water.

Friday nights will feature an “Artist Night” with the Holland Project providing programming with the following titles: “Ode to Crafternoon: Not Yer Granny’s Craft Fair; Bazaar Bazaar; Word Up & Vertigo Pre-Party!; Old School Block Party; The Anatomy of Body; Bohemian Circus; All Things Bike!; Recycled Works; Spontaneous Solutions; Spoken Views.

Saturday mornings will feature a Farmer’s & Chef’s Market in cooperation with the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market on California Street.

Special cooking demonstrations will also be provided by locally and nationally known food expert, Jennifer Bushman. Topics include: Kids in the Kitchen; Budding Teen Chefs; Date With Dad; Mommy and the Market; Learn at Lunch; Girls Night Out; Fast Scratch; Uncorked!; Meet the Producers; Seasonal Cooking Demonstrations; Shopping for a Family of 1-2; Harvest; Holiday Cooking.

For more information about West Street Market visit (http://www.cityofreno.com/Index.aspx?page=1517)

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