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>>