Parks Bond Issue

As most of you know, the dilemma about gaining funding for repairs to our velodrome has been a hot issue for several years. More recently it was revealed that there is a chance for Penrose to receive some funding through a bill in the city called the Parks Bond Bill.

Local cyclist and alderman, Scott Ogilvie (who has consistently raced track when not being a city official) gave us the means to be in contact with other city officials who have some pull when it comes to this bill.

We were given an email address. And as dubious as writing a damn email and actually making a difference seems, we sometimes have more power in our actions than we realize.

So I wrote an email. A four paragrapher and then some at that. It was impassioned and probably really cheesy, especially to a person who is not into cycling. But I wrote it and sent it and thought, 'well, at least I did something, right?'

Then I got a response! I didn't actually think that Mr. Gary Bess would read my email, let alone respond to it.

Here are some of the cheesy bits and pieces from my letter:

"I am writing to you as a plea on behalf of Saint Louis area cyclists....
 I am a competitive, recreational, and commuter cyclist. Three years ago a few
friends convinced me to join them for an evening of racing at Penrose Park
Velodrome. ..."
 "When we arrived, I realized I had passed this strange place many times, without ever
know what it was. After that night of racing I was hooked. Since then I have
become even more actively involved in St. Louis's cycling community. From
volunteering at charity bike events to racing, I try to be as involved as
possible. It has become the core of my friends, recreation, and even
employment. ..."
"There was a time in Saint Louis's cycling history when Penrose Park was a 
destination point for midwestern track cyclists... 

Penrose creates tradition. It has built a community. Last summer a
gentleman came to the track on a Thursday night. We were racing, and he had seen
us there before. This man lives in North City, and works with local kids to get
them involved in sports to inspire healthy living...We 

welcomed him with open arms, because we love expanding our community."

...This year our Track Series has started strong. Perhaps it is word of mouth, and
all the positivity surrounding racing at Penrose. Maybe it was the t.v. spot
done on KSDK. It's certainly encouraging to see new faces return again and
again. My only lament is for the surface of the Velodrome. It was fallen to such
disrepair that I fear this could be our last season on it. We have literally
taped the track together in some spots. We have a dedicated group, and many of
us will arrive early each Thursday to spend hours sweeping away thorns and
mulch, checking for additional corrosion, and picking up trash. We even have
guys that come on non race days to spray for weeds.
We do what we can, but none of us can afford to put the money into Penrose that
it really needs. We work hard for what we have, and try not to complain. "

I thanked him for reading it, yadda yadda, signed my name and sent the damn thing.

Here was his reply:

"Thanks for your comments  The veledrome is on our list of improvements in Penrose park  The Comptrollers Office will be handling the sale of the bonds and have advised us the earliest funds would be available is July 2013" 

 Short, but very very sweet. 

Lets keep the positivity alive, lets keep pushing for what we need. 

-Molly