So that those of us in the same business can keep an eye peeled, were there
bikes stolen and does Larry have descriptions, serial numbers, etc.?
David Feldman
Vancouver, WA
> While this is not strictly about vintage bikes, it certainly endangered
> vintage bikes among the others in fellow list member Larry Black's store
in
> College Park, Maryland, home of the new collegiate national championship
> basket ball team.
> My sincere regrets go out to Larry, family and staff. He is a great friend
> and huge asset to our little "club" of classic bike enthusiasts...
>
> For those interested, I have copied below his messages on the incident.
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina
>
> << Hopefully, Dale will send a note to the list.
> It's now 0900 Tuesday and we discovered that there are some addendums:
> First, the University did not offer help with the boarding up of the
missing
> glass.
> Second, there have been 15 of the estimated 30 bikes returned in various
> states, some recovered by police, others by concerned bystanders.
> There have been four arrests so far in relation to the bike shop thefts
and
> vandalism.
> There were several video cameras recording the incidents and these are
being
> sought for help in recovery efforts.
> Calls and emails have been coming in for offers of support, and the
sentiment
> of many of the passers-by is of sorrow.
> We originally thought that just some of the kids' bikes in the window were
> the victims but many of the road bikes on the main floor were removed as
> well, including some of the better ones on cables from the ceiling in the
> windows.
> A pro frame from the inner ceiling was gone as well, so if you get offers
on
> any bikes that have sharp scratches or glass fragments, you may be dealing
> with a part of the celebration.
> Here's the note from earlier in the morning:
>
> COLLEGE PARK, MD 0245 2April 2002
> Good News!
> Chad Kayser's head is is going to be fine. Chad was manager on duty at
the
> shop this morning.
> After a blow from behind by a rioter in this morning's activities in front
of
> College Park Bicycles
>
> As we observed the situation on TV, it looked as if the shop might have
> escaped, then the police chased the crowds up Knox and WAWA food store
became
> one of the sources of ammunition in the form of cans and bottles(along
with
> others improvised projectiles and weaponry) that were used to smash 8 of
our
> windows The laminated glass was destroyed but stayed intact, while the
large
> plate glass units were completely broken out.
> Dozens of bikes were removed, some retrieved back by riot police, who, as
of
> 1:30 were now in place near the shop. Earlier there were no police
anywhere
> near the shop, which is just a hundred feet up the hill from the
intersection.
>
> Reports are still coming in as of 1:45 and Chad is starting the tedious
> clean-up while awaiting emergency board-up help.The University is
supposedly
> contracting services to aid in the effort.
>
> While we as alumnae and supporters of the school for three decades enjoyed
> the game, we stand bewildered and frustrated that such activity needed to
> happen.
>
> Was there any need for this?
> Many of us agree it served as a great opportunity for those with riotous
> tendencies to have an outlet for what might be considered entertainment.
> College Park has long served as an entertainment center for local youth to
> congregate and find activity. When we opened in 1979 there was an
abundance
> of establishments that catered to what would be considered 'entertainment'
> Video games, bars, fast food, and things that provided fast and simple fun
> and thrills.
> College Park Bicycles opened on a corner that housed a years-closed
> laundramat, and the corner served as an open air corner for street trade.
> The bike shop and several other 'dry' or 'hard-goods' business bucked the
> trends and fought our way in to start establishing the area as a
destination
> for serious shoppers.
>
> For over 23 years, the shop has continued to attract the trade of bicycle
> shoppers from all over the world. Many of them have flown in and stayed in
> the community for days while selecting bicycles.Some have even returned to
> the area for continued commerce relating to other needs and businesses.
>
> We feel the vandalism and riotous behavior has little to do with the
victory
> in Atlanta, but merely a combination of ignorance, anxiety, and other
> emotional issues.
>
> In times of stress, it is said, people resort to habit, but where was the
> stress?
> The celebration of an historical sports event Victory of unprecedented
> proportion for the entire State of Maryland?
> This victory was a joyous event, not a case of what caused the riots we
saw
> in DC in 1968, that came from built-up anger over political unrest and
racial
> issues.
> This was not a case of the politics and intolerance that caused the
rioting
> in College Park thirty years ago.
> If anything, the authorities were too tolerant, and let the revelers have
> their fun and party for quite some time.
>
> There were numerous businesses and residents affected in our community,
and
> we hope and pray that they,too, suffer minimally and rebuild in a timely
> fashion.
> Thanks to the help of the people from the Bikini Splash who came by to
pitch
> in and bystanders that might have helped, if any.
>
> We will all be asking questions for quite some time. First the initial
why,
> but more importantly we will be looking for ways to keep such activity
from
> festering in the future as we seek solutions.
> We are sure there are seeded behavioral issues and causes, but we are
> confidant that the Terps climbing to the top of the World in their victory
is
> no reason for any of this to have happened.
> Students, prospective students, parents, school authorities, community
> citizens, business people, and emergency personnel that suffered
physically,
> spiritually, emotionally, and financially might be making some
associations
> that will be unfortunately detrimental to OUR University's future.
>
> We hope the sight of Testudo(the Terrapin Turtle) on red and white
pennants
> on car windows, clothing, and flying high around the World will one day
bring
> a sense of heightened spirit to our souls, rather than the bitter and
> unfortunate taste of destruction and vandalism that persists this morning
of
> April 2.
> Let us thank Chad for his single-handed act of defense of saving what is
> still there to continue to serve the needs of the cycling community of the
> University and the metropolitan area.
>
> If anyone is in the area in the near future, stop in to give a smile or a
bit
> of extra love to the guys who will be trying to mend the businesses and
> spirits of the community.
>
> Time to go rebuild a bike shop.............................
>
> Sincerely,
> Larry and Linda Black
> founders, College Park Bicycles, since 1979>>
> _______________________________________________
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