Lilly Tomlin once said, “I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.” During this week, National Teacher Appreciation Week, this quote seemed especially relevant. When you think about it, few professions touch as many people in as profound a way as teachers.
In Ukiah, we are fortunate to offer students so many educational opportunities taught by incredible, dedicated teachers of all grade levels—from kindergarten through junior college—who devote their entire careers to helping our children develop the skills that allow them to achieve so many great things.
I hope this week, and every week, we all take time to celebrate the many contributions our educators make to our community every day.
May is also National Bike Month. National Bike Month is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, and has been celebrated in communities from coast to coast since 1956. May is an ideal time to showcase the many benefits of bicycling—and encourage more people to give cycling a try.
Whether you use a bike to travel to work or school, run errands, exercise, or just for fun, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique benefits of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. If you or your kids choose to ride your bikes this month, please remember these simple safety tips:
- Ride in the same direction as traffic (with the flow) in a single file.
- Ride on the right side of the road (not the left), far enough from parked cars to avoid open car doors.
- Obey traffic laws. Follow all traffic signs, signals and lane markings.
- Be predictable. Ride in a straight line; don’t weave in and out of cars.
- Use hand signals.
- Always wear a helmet
Next week, May 11 – 15, is Bike-to-Work Week. If you can only bike to work one day, make it Bike-to-Work Day on May 15 to help raise awareness about the benefits of bicycling! Riding your bike to work is a great way to get a little exercise, enjoy some fresh air, and help the environment.
If you’d like more information about Bike-to-Work Day and other Bike Month activities, visit www.walkbikemendo.org or http://bikeleague.org/bikemonth. You can also go to Facebook and “Like” Walk & Bike Mendocino or contact Neal Davis at (707) 972-0926.
If you’re ready for a true biking adventure, Ukiah Rotary just might have the answer for you. On June 7, 2015, Ukiah Rotary is hosting its annual Mendocino Monster Century Bicycle Ride.
The event includes three rides again this year: the Scary Monster is 100 miles (160 kilometers) and includes 9200 feet of climbing. The Hairy Monster is 62 miles (100 kilometers) and includes 6900 feet of climbing, and the Merry Monster is 26 miles (41 kilometers) with 750 feet of climbing.
All rides depart and finish from Mendocino College, just north of Ukiah. Both the Scary Monster and the Hairy Monster take you over quiet country roads and include challenging ridge top climbs with stunning panoramas of Mendocino County. Both the Scary and Hairy Monsters travel through beautiful redwood groves and pastoral farmland, and if you choose the Scary Monster, you’ll also get to ride along the Pacific Ocean.
The Merry Monster is a relatively easy ride that goes through some beautiful countryside with vineyard views and the peaceful farmlands of Redwood Valley.
Regardless of which ride you choose, along with fantastic riding roads and majestic views of Mendocino County, at the end of the ride you’ll be treated to a first class barbeque meal.
This is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Ukiah. The club uses proceeds from the event to fund local scholarships for students, repair park playground equipment, create local parks in the Ukiah area, as well as contribute to the worldwide effort to eliminate polio. To sign up for this great biking event, visit http://mendocinomonster.com.
As always, our mission at UPD is simple: to make Ukiah as safe as possible. If you have any suggestions or comments about how we can improve, please feel free to call me, complete our online survey, or leave a crime tip on our website: www.ukiahpolice.com.
