Local antiwar activist Brian Willson recovering from collision

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Willson’s Varna handcycle was damaged in a June 3 crash.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Brian Willson, a widely known veteran of the Vietnam War and the movement to end it, is on the mend after a June 3 crash at the corner of Southeast 51st Avenue and Clinton, not far from his home.

Willson, who we profiled in 2011 when he published an autobiography and set off on an 1100-mile hand-powered book tour, said he was northbound, waiting his turn at the stop sign of that intersection, when a woman driving an SUV heading west on Clinton “turned the corner sharply, but directly into me rather than into the correct southbound lane, going about 15 mph.”

It was a difficult experience for the lawyer and longtime peace activist, who lost his lower legs in 1987 while lying on railroad tracks in protest of U.S. arms shipments to Central America. His insurance and the woman’s are covering the physical damage to his body and handcycle, he wrote, and he’s waiting for the outcome of a pain-and-suffering settlement.

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A new bit of hope for fixing the ‘Naito Gap’

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Curving paths would help cross
the Steel Bridge railroad tracks.

After six years of promising to fix a persistent rift in downtown’s bike lane grid, city planners have a new plan to link the bike lanes north and south of the Steel Bridge on the Naito Parkway.

As you can see from the city’s tentative sketch, lots of hardware changes are required — tasks that will have to be completed by Union Pacific Railroad are marked in red — but project manager Rich Newlands tells us that the city is springing for its own analysis of the situation in order to avoid further delays from partner organizations.

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Black Giant Avail 2011

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Year: 2011
Brand: Giant
Model: Avail
Color:Black
Size:Purple
Photo: http://imgur.com/eLSyzYZu
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2013-07-14
Stolen From: Was last seen between Chinese gardens and credit union
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Owner: Yanka Skyton
OwnerEmail: Blueiphi(A T)gmail.com
Reward: $100.00
Description: Front wheel has monkey electric light attached. The bike has white seat with a small hole on a side. the handle bar tape is actually black now. Great divide brewery stickers are all over the frame, along with white water rafting sticker from Colorado.
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 13-58009
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Citizen cycling superheroes

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Two recent stories — one local and one national — illustrate that bicycles and the people who ride them can be powerful forces for good.

The first story is from The Oregonian. Last week, reporter Simina Mistreanu shared a heart-wrenching story about how northeast Portland resident Bonnie Holtgrew prevented a man from committing suicide:

… Wednesday around 6 p.m., she was thirsty and out of cigarettes, so she hopped on her bike and headed to the store. On her way back to her home on Northeast 92nd Avenue off Glisan Street, she took a detour onto the I-205 overpass to avoid a closed sidewalk.

Suddenly, she saw something that made her stop.

Holtgrew stayed with the man until police arrived and he was eventually pulled off the bridge railing to safety.

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Job: Paint Support – Cielo Cycles-Chris King Precision Components – FILLED

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Sorry. This job has been filled.

Job Title
Paint Support

Company/Organization
Cielo Cycles-Chris King Precision Components

Job Description
Cielo Cycles, a division of Chris King Precision Components, Manufacturer of precision bicycle components, is seeking qualified applicants for a full time support position in our Cielo Paint department. The Cielo Paint Support role will be primarily responsible for all tasks associated with the Cielo process, specificially the area of pre and post paint: masking, cleaning, blasting, sanding and buffing unpainted frames; shooting primer, color and clear; unmasking and polishing painted frames; mixing paint and organizing paint bank; secondary work as necessary.

A successful applicant will be detail oriented, highly organized, and capable of working independently. The applicant must be a systematic thinker that is ready to handle a variety of tasks. Minimum 1 year experience with masking or painting required, along with 1 year as a bike mechanic. Other requirements include understanding of frame construction and basic computer skills.

How to Apply
Please furnish cover letter and resume by directly e-mailing to human.resources@chrisking.com (no Attachments will be accepted). A drug free environment and equal opportunity employer.

Job: Equity Initiative Manager – The League of American Bicyclists

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Job Title
Equity Initiative Manager

Company/Organization
The League of American Bicyclists

Job Description
The League of American Bicyclists seeks a creative, community building and experienced organizer to serve and lead as Equity Initiative Manager.

The goal of the League of American Bicyclists is to make bicycling safe and comfortable for all people in all communities, but we recognize that women, youth and people of color are underrepresented in advocacy efforts. There is an important opportunity to understand the culturally relevant engagement, outreach, programming and advocacy activities that have the potential to bring needed resources and opportunities to underserved communities, engage currently active communities of color, and form new collaborations with community health, urban planning and economic development fields.

Through its Equity Initiative, the League seeks to engage and be led by women, youth and leaders of color — and bridge the current gap between diverse communities and bicycle advocates. A new staff position, the Equity Initiative Manager will lead the League’s efforts to work with, engage and advance diverse participant and leadership in the bicycle movement, including women, youth and communities of color. This staff member will work closely with the League’s Equity Advisory Council; cultivate effective local and national partnerships; partner internally to incorporate equity into the League’s operations and programming; and produce reports and resources to advance bicycle equity nationwide.

Successful candidates will have a connection to bicycling, experience facilitating groups, knowledge of nonprofit organizations, be resourceful and solutions-oriented and demonstrate effective leadership with diverse stakeholders. Possess a demonstrated history of success working both independently and as part of a team. Proven ability to collaborate and work successfully with multiple constituents to deliver and improve programs and initiatives.

PURPOSE:
The Equity Initiative Manager plans, directs, and coordinates all aspects of the League’s Equity Initiative including the following duties:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Regular duties include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
1. Develops strategies: Facilitates, assists and evaluates the work of a 10-member Equity Advisory Council comprised of diverse leaders tasked with advising and recommending internal and external steps to advance equity for the League and the bicycle movement at large. Works closely with League staff, board, and outside consultant to implement an internal Equity Audit of League operations, Board processes, programming and membership outreach.
2. Implement projects: Researches and authors reports showcasing effective policy and program strategies, compiling case studies, aggregating data, performing new research and raising the visibility of organizations and campaigns from under-represented communities. Develops comprehensive package of resources for League member organizations; a toolkit created specifically for bicycle advocacy organizations and clubs to address the internal and external inequities predominant throughout the bicycle movement. Works with League development director and program staff to raise funds for local equity grants and develop scholarship programs to address financial barriers to access League events and programs.
3. Cultivates partnerships: Serves as the League liaison and active member of the Equity Caucus at a federal level, and works to build relationships and coalitions with other relevant organizations at the local, state and national level.
4. Provides leadership: Serves in a leadership capacity to identify additional aspects of the League’s Equity Initiative and fully develop the evolving program to meet the needs of the organization and the movement. Establishes regular reports and monitor performance against targets and plans to ensure that the staff and Equity Advisory Council are regularly advised of progress against plans and to recommend actions as required. Values the power of communication and works proactively to gather and share information to advance priorities.
5. Program Design: Serves in a facilitative capacity to oversee the creation of culturally relevant programs and campaigns that meet the needs of member and potential member communities. Collaborates with fund development and financial staff to create realistic budgets and funding strategies. Participates in proposal writing. Is responsible for program budgets.

Requirements:
Ideal candidates will have the following skills and experience.
1. Previous work in community-based advocacy, grassroots and/or social justice organizing
2. Connection to bicycling
3. Strong writing and communication skills with an ability to meet assigned deadlines
4. Background in group facilitation, community dialogues and conflict management
5. Academic background in race, ethnicity, gender, cultural studies or other related fields
6. Strong social skills as well as an ability to self-direct and work independently
7. Experience is program development and organizational evaluation
8. Experience working with youth populations or youth engagement is a plus
9. Travel to as many as four conferences each year

The League is a small staff organization. The Equity Initiative Manager will partner with the Communications Director, and report to the League Chief Operating Officer. S/he will work collaboratively with operations, membership and program staff to lead and implement equity recommendations; and s/he has an exciting opportunity to shape the future of the organization — and the bicycle movement. Strong social and communications skills are essential.

Women and members of historically underrepresented groups and multi-lingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The job requires two to four years in related experience and is based in Washington, D.C. Salary is based on experience.

How to Apply

Interested candidates may submit a personalized cover letter and resume to Jakob@bikeleague.org. Applications are due by August 2.

Rent a bike near you with Spinlister’s new iPhone app

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Bikes listed in Spinlister’s mobile app.

A year-old service that lets you rent bikes from ordinary people has new ownership, a new iPhone app and quite a few bikes for rent in Portland.

For locals, the best thing about this service is that it’s an easy way to track down the sort of bike (or bike accessory) that you might need occasionally. For example, here in town you can find a bakfiets cargo bike for $25 a day, a tallbike for $15 a day, a big bike trailer for $18 a day, a folding bike for $11 a day, a tandem for $25 a day, a two-bike hold-up rack for $25 a day and a Burley tag-a-long for $20 a day.

It’s obviously of potential use to tourists, too.

The nice thing about Spinlister’s iPhone app is that it autodetects your location, making it easier to locate the nearest bike or input the location of one you’re preparing to list for rental to others. The startup promises an Android app to match in “fall 2013.”

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TriMet steps up efforts to keep panniers and buckets off bus racks

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TriMet bus with rack

TriMet says its drivers are temporarily emphasizing a longstanding rule that bikes loaded on its bus racks ares supposed to be stripped of bulky accessories before boarding.

According to the transit agency’s bikes-on-buses policy, these rules apply to “panniers, child seats or any object that could block the headlights or the operator’s vision.”

We heard about this after two readers sent accounts of bus drivers telling people to remove such add-ons before boarding. TriMet Bicycle Coordinator Jeff Owen confirms that it’s “a reinforcement of our messaging for a while.” The issue may take new importance due to TriMet’s newest bus model, which improves driver lines of sight by extending its windshield almost as far down as the rack.

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Brown Raleigh Soujourn 2007

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Year: 2007
Brand: Raleigh
Model: Soujourn
Color:Brown
Size:50-54cm
Serial:KRYPTONITE BA833
Stolen in Ortland, OR 97211
Stolen:2013-07-14
Stolen From: Alberta and 6th
Neighborhood: Alberta
Owner: Robbie Abalos
OwnerEmail: robaloie@gmail.com
Reward: money
Description: Road touring bike, with flared handle bars. Brown brooks saddle. My lock was not locking it, but it was locked to the rear bike rack. The serial code for the lock is BA833
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 13-154687
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

The Monday Roundup: Anti-pollution masks and more

“Be careful out there.” (BBC.co.uk screenshot)

Here’s the bike news that caught our eyes this week:

A helmet for your mouth: The United Kingdom is considering recommending that people on bikes prevent pollution exposure by wearing “cycle masks” over their mouths. Or maybe, some point out, people on bikes could be physically separated from tailpipes.

It must be true: Pope Francis advises future priests and nuns to ditch their expensive cars and start realizing the joys of two wheels: “Bicycles are necessary because there’s a lot of work to do.”

Kickstarter’s bike list: Kickstarter’s new tag system now lets you track all sorts of bike-related projects.

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Job: Warehouse Manager – BicyclingHub.com

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Job Title
Warehouse Manager

Company/Organization
BicyclingHub.com

Job Description
Are you passionate about cycling? Bicyclinghub.com is experiencing excellent growth and is in need of an Warehouse Manager. We’re looking for someone to join our team and manage shipping and receiving to improve our customers shopping experience.

The ideal candidates will have at least 1 years working experience in a shipping/warehouse environment. Additionally, the job requires customer service and the ideal candidate will possess excellent customer service skills.

Bicyclinghub.com is located in Portland, Oregon

How to Apply
To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter, a resume (including salary history and requirements)to jobs@bicyclinghub.com. In the subject line of your email please include “BicyclingHub.com Web Marketing Manager.” Also, please tell us on a scale of 1 to 10 “how lucky are you?” Provide a sample of a success that you’ve had on the job. Additionally, if you’re passionate about cycling please tell us about how riding has impacted your life