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NORDIC SKI SPRINTS AROUND STATE CAPITOL PLANNED
Madison, Wisconsin Madison will host a U.S. Olympic Ski Team Qualifier Nor/Am Super Tour Classic
Sprint event, the Capitol Square Sprints, on January 16, 2005. This FIS event will bring world-class cross-country skiers to race around the Wisconsin state Capitol on man-made snow in the heart of
downtown Madison the first time something like this has been done in the United States.
Event organizers are anticipating more than 250 participants, from the Olympic level to citizen, and expect
over 10,000 spectators in what they hope to make an annual event.
Also planned are a cross-country ski sport presentation for American Indian children and a cross-country ski race for disabled athletes.
Nordic sprint events have been held in Europe the past two years one in Dusseldorf, Germany's city center, and the other around the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. These events relied on local commercial,
civic and individual support to succeed.
The same can happen here, but the event needs your help. The foundation of support has been built for the
Capitol Square Sprints from the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, and the Madison Nordic Ski and Federation of International Skiing.
In addition, Hammersly Stone Trucking Co. and Tyrol Basin Ski Area have generously offered their support in making and trucking snow to the site, but we are in need of cash donations to support snow delivery and
other event expenses. To volunteer, contact Yuriy Gusev, event organizer, at 608/385-8864 or e-mail: info@capitolsquaresprints.org. Visit www.capitolsquaresprints.org for more details.
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PEDESTRIAN & BIKE SUMMIT OCT. 21-22
The 2004 Wisconsin State Pedestrian and Bicycle Summit will take place Thursday and Friday, October 21-22, on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus.
The summit will include a dozen panel discussions of how to create active communities, building multijurisdictional trails, the economic and environmental impact of walking and biking, ATV and
biking/pedestrian trails as well as other topics.
The summit is co-sponsored by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, the Governor's Bicycle Council, the
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin Walks and UW-Stevens Point.
Register for the summit online at www.bfw.org. Registration costs $24 for federation members and $29 for
nonmembers. A limited number of scholarships are available for federation members with special needs. E-mail marjorie@bfw.org for a scholarship application.
For more information, e-mail ali@bfw.org or call 608/251-4456.
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GREEN BAY 5K TO CIRCLE LAMBEAU FIELD
Green Bay, Wisconsin Lambeau Field will welcome the finishers of the first Green Bay 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, October 10, at 8 a.m. This event will be run in conjunction with the Green Bay Duathlon, a
run-bike-run event starting at 7 a.m.
Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. just outside the Resch Center. Each participant will receive a T-shirt and race number.
Proceeds will benefit the Ashwaubenon Swim Club. Entry fee is $15 until the day of the event, when the cost will be $22. Kids 12 and under, $8. To enter go to Stadium Bike Stores in Green Bay, www.Active.com, www.midwestsportsevents.com or call 800/429-8044.
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'SHOP BY BIKE' PROMOTED BY FOREST PARK CHAMBER AND CHICAGO BICYCLING ADVOCATES
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce has announced a "shop by bike" program that encourages a healthy way to shop locally with a punch-card system.
Bike shoppers simply need to make a $5 purchase at any participating merchant to get their cards punched, with one punch per purchase and six punches completing a card. Completed cards should be dropped off at
any participating merchant or the chamber office no later than October 29 to be eligible for the raffle drawing. The drawing will take place October 30 at the Forest Park French Market. Bike shoppers may
complete as many cards as they wish.
Participants can pick up punch cards at the chamber booth at the September 11 Forest Park French
Market on Madison Street. Punch cards are also available at participating shop by bike merchants (hours vary) and the chamber's office (Monday Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), 7344 West Madison St., on the second
floor of the Forest Park National Bank & Trust Co.
"This is the first shop by bike program in this area and we're pleased to be working with the Forest Park
Chamber of Commerce and community to make it happen," said Pamela Brookstein, west suburban coordinator for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
"Our shop by bike program adds real vibrancy to our community and encourages shopping at local merchants," said Laurie Kokenes, executive director of the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce. "We look
forward to seeing people out on the street and staying healthy by biking while they shop."
As part of the promotion, one lucky bike shopper will win a new Giant Sedona comfort bike valued at $320
courtesy of Dan's Bike Shop in Berwyn. Other prizes include $500 in Madison Street gift certificates in various amounts, donated by the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce for use at participating shop by bike
merchants, a $50 gift certificate from Dan's Bike Shop and a combined prize from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation that includes a one-year membership and one free registration to the 2005 Bike the Drive event.
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WILD RIVER STATE PARK PLANS AHEAD
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation is developing a new management plan for Wild River State Park and the public is invited to participate in the process. The plan
will set the park's direction and management objectives for the next 20 years.
The planning process for Wild River State Park will include several citizen advisory committee meetings that
will be held during the fall and winter of 2004-05. During this same time period, a technical advisory group composed of specialists from land management agencies will meet to discuss specific planning issues. The
plan is scheduled for completion during the spring of 2005.
Wild River State Park is located along 18 miles of the St. Croix River in Chisago County. The park was
established in 1973 to protect the area's natural and cultural resources and to provide recreational opportunities along the river. The park's name, Wild River, is derived from the fact that it is located along
the St. Croix River and is one of the original eight rivers protected by the U.S. Congress through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Nearly 5,000 of the park's total 6,803 acres were donated by Northern
States Power Co.
Today the park offers recreational opportunities to people who enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, interpretive programs, self-guided trails and cross-country skiing.
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SNOWSHOE WEAVING COURSE OFFERED AT SANDHILL
Babcock, Wisconsin Snowshoeing has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, and interested people can join this craze on traditional snowshoes that they have woven themselves by participating in a two-day snowshoe
construction workshop at the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center. The course will be held Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5.
"The functional beauty of your own handiwork will be a source of pride for years," according to Dick Thiel, natural resources educator at the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center.
Participants must select from three basic snowshoe types: bear-paw, Alaskan or Ojibwa styles. Kits include the wooden frame and nylon lacings, plus instructions. Instructors will be on hand to guide participants
through the process.
"Weaving snowshoes takes time, and we have allotted an entire weekend, sequestered on Sandhill Wildlife
Area at the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center as a lovely backdrop to put you in the proper framework for constructing your own snowshoes," Thiel said.
Registration is limited: on a first-come, first-served basis and is confirmed by mailing in a registration fee by October 15.
The fee includes the snowshoe kit (wooden frame and lacing), bindings and instruction plus Saturday night dorm lodging and Saturday supper and Sunday breakfast. Fees vary depending on the snowshoe style
selected. Interested people can visit the Sandhill Web site or contact Sandra Green at 715/884-2437 for information on snowshoe styles and fees.
People who wish to stay overnight in the dorm either prior to or following the event may do so for a donation of $15 per person per night.
Once you have made your selection, mail check to DNR-Skills Center, including the names of each participant, the snowshoe style selected, and the address and daytime phone number of one person in each
party and send the registration fee to Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, P.O. Box 156, Babcock, WI 54413. Inquiries on the status of registrations may be sent via e-mail to Sandra.Green@dnr.state.wi.us.
The Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center is located 20 miles west of Wisconsin Rapids on County Highway X, one mile north of State Highway 80 near Babcock, Wisconsin, on the 9,000-acre Sandhill Wildlife Area.
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BIKE LOCK ALERT
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation has learned that bicycle locks utilizing the "axial pin tumbler" locking mechanism (in which a tubular key is inserted into a circular keyhole) are seriously compromised and at risk
of being picked. Bicyclists are advised to use two different types of locking devices: 1) a strong, U-shaped
lock that can hold the frame and front wheel, and 2) a separate, thick cable (or chain) with a thick padlock that can secure both wheels and the frame.
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